Mass Effect: A Taste of Armageddon
by A Talking Dinosaur
Summary: The Reapers are coming. The galaxy must fight or it will die. One woman refuses to give in and will fight until the very end. "If we start thinking of them as gods, then we've already lost. They're just machines and even machines can be killed." A ME3 rewrite fic. F!Shep/Thane
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Mass Effect is the property of EA/Bioware and so on and so forth.

* * *

**Prologue: Six Months, Three Days Before the Fall of Earth**

_She was in a city in a crowd of people, a thousand hands holding onto hers. She looked up, and the sun was being blotted out by a giant and desperately, she started running, the crowd becoming a blur. No one around her seemed to notice, even as the street ripped itself in half and shadowy people disappeared into the chasm. Horrified, she tried to stop and help, but her feet kept on their flight over the burning pavement; she had to get there._

_People pushed in on her, hands reaching. She shoved away, recoiling as their naked bodies dropped to the street, their empty faces pointed at the sky. Sobbing, she was swallowed by the stars and their broken screams. Covering her ears in pain, she fell, the sound rending through her head until she was screaming too. _

_The light was red and searing her eyes likes fire. She started to crawl; pain-_

Shepard lurched off the bed, heart dashing against her ribs, and looked around the unfamiliar room wildly. Her side, her leg, her arm; they were all throbbing miserably but she couldn't care. She tapped into her biotics. The Reapers were-. She had to-. Where was-

"Siha?"

Shepard blinked and Thane was there, watching her with concern. Confused, she stared at him. _You shouldn't be here_. A low, soothing croon was coming from his throat and she couldn't help but relax a little. The light was leaving spots in her vision and she blinked again, breathing heavily. The world came into slow, blurry focus. She was in the med-bay on the _Normandy_, the room empty besides her and Thane.

Bullet wounds aching, Shepard sunk back onto the medical bed and forced her heartbeat to slow. She lifted a shaky hand to her forehead, breathing deliberately. The dream continued to echo in her ears and she fought off a shudder. Thane was still speaking to her in a way only a drell could, the tone almost beyond her hearing. It was pleasant and calming and Shepard was glad he was there.

After a few moments, she straightened. Her clothing was drenched in cooling sweat and she picked at the fabric uncomfortably. "I'm fine," Shepard said, tucking her dark hair behind her ears. "Just...just a nightmare."

Frowning, Thane studied the strained lines of her face. He sat down in the chair beside her and took her hand, gently rubbed his thumb over her palm. She looked at him and smiled weakly.

"I'm fine," she repeated, willing both of them to believe it. "How long was I out?"

"Around fifteen hours," he said, setting the datapad in his hand on the little table next to him.

Shepard glanced at it curiously, not realizing he'd had it, but turned back to Thane quickly, "Wait. What?"

He hummed reassuringly. "The good doctor assured me extreme exhaustion is a normal reaction to omega-enkaphalin. Particularly, at the high doses you were given. Combined with your injuries, it is not so surprising, siha."

"Great," she sighed, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "Where's Chakwas?"

"At the moment, she is preventing the Alliance Admiral from entering the med-bay and disturbing you."

"Shit," Shepard ran a hand through her hair, grimacing at the greasy feeling. _Three days without a shower. Damn that's gross. _"How long has he been here?"

His inner eyelids flickered at her curse but he went on without commenting on it. "He invited himself onto the _Normandy_ several hours ago, demanding to speak to you." A small, wicked smile appeared on his lips. "The crew has not been helpful."

Snorting out a laugh, she climbed to her feet, wincing as she put weight on her leg. "I bet. EDI?"

EDI's holographic orb appeared above the nearby terminal. "Yes, Commander?"

"Let Admiral Hackett into the med-bay."

Brow creased, Thane stood as well. "The Admiral can wait, siha. You are still unwell."

"No, he can't ," Shepard said, frowning ."I have to talk to him eventually. There's no point in hiding from it."

"You do not answer to him, siha."

"Then who do I answer to, Thane?" she snapped, feeling a flash of irritation."I killed three-hundred thousand people. Blew up a fucking _relay_-"

She stopped herself, closing her eyes. Saying the words was like sticking her hand into an electrical current. _Three-hundred thousand..._The scope of that much death was almost unimaginable and it was a struggle to really understand what she had done. It was only made worse by knowing that she would have done it a hundred times if it meant delaying the Reapers. Shepard felt sick.

Thane reached out for her hand. "Siha-"

The med-bay door opened with a quiet whir and he dropped his arm back to his side, his face closing off. She glanced behind him and saw Admiral Hackett striding toward her.

"We can talk later," she promised quietly, returning her attention to Thane.

Hesitating a split second, he nodded deeply and left, subtly brushing his fingers against her arm as he did. Shepard watched him go, not missing the dangerous look he sent Hackett, before turning away.

"Admiral Hackett." She shifted her weight off her aching leg and nodded courteously.

"Commander Shepard." Hackett stopped and clasped his hands behind his back. "Your doctor was reluctant to disturb you but it looks like you've recovered enough for a chat."

"I'm a little surprised to see you here, Admiral."

"You went out there as a favor to me. I decided to debrief you in person." His expression hardened. "That was before the mass relay exploded and destroyed an entire batarian system. _What the hell happened out there_,_ Commander_."

"What have you heard?" Shepard asked cautiously.

"All I know is that I sent you out there to break Amanda Kenson out of prison and now the Bahak system has been completely wiped off the map." There was a hint of a snarl in his voice as he went on. "I hope you can fill in the leap of logic between those two events."

"I confirmed Doctor Kenson's claims." She leaned against the bed behind her. "The Reapers were coming and they were planning on using the relay to access the rest of the galaxy. Destroying it was the only way to stop them."

He considered this for a moment. "The relays are believed to be almost indestructible. How did you manage to destroy it?"

"When Doctor Kenson and her team discovered the Reaper's plan, they rigged several engines to an asteroid and set it to fly into the relay. Unfortunately, they had become indoctrinated and when I arrived at the project base, they sedated me for almost two days. By the time I woke up, the Reapers were almost here. I tried to warn the colonies..." Shepard shook her head and glanced down, "but time ran out."

Hackett began to pace. "And you believe the Reapers really were a threat."

"I do," she said, nodding. "If I hadn't destroyed that relay, the Reapers would be invading the galaxy right now. As it is, I've only bought us some time."

"Do you have any proof of this Commander?" he asked, stopping to stare blankly out the med-bay window.

She began to cross her arms but stopped herself short, the wound on her arm burning. She settled for a frown. "Other than what I've already given you: no, I don't."

"That's a problem, Commander." Hackett shifted to stare her in the eye. "You say that an ancient race of homicidal machines is coming to harvest all life in the galaxy. You use the threat of the Reapers to justify the murder of _three-hundred thousand_ batarians. And you don't have any actual evidence_?_" He shook his head. "Tell me you understand my disbelief."

"The information from the collector base-"

"Proved that the collectors were the ones attacking our colonies and not much else."

"They were using the colonists to create a damn Reaper!"

"No, Commander," he barked, eyes flashing. "They were building a warship. That's all. At best it showed that the collectors were capable of far greater technology than we are."

Silence fell. Shepard was struggling with her frustration and had nothing to say. Every bit of proof her and her team had fought and bled for apparently counted for nothing. Sovereign crashing into the Citadel, the scans of the collector base- hell, scans of an actual _Reaper_ and it still wasn't enough.

"You'll have to answer for this eventually, Commander," Hackett said after the minutes had begun to drag on.

His face was as unforgiving as stone but Shepard still had enough pride to meet his gaze unflinchingly. "I know my duty, Admiral. I'll turn myself in without incident."

"Glad to see working with Cerberus hasn't stripped away your sense of honor."

Lifting her chin, she regarded the man coldly. "I didn't work with Cerberus because I agreed with them, Admiral. I did it because people were dying and they were the only ones willing to do anything about it."

"That may be true but Cerberus isn't known for their altruistic nature. Their motives for helping our colonists are questionable," Hackett said grimly. "As are yours."

Her temper flared hot and it took some effort to keep her voice steady. "_Everything_ I've done, I've done to protect the galaxy."

"From where the rest of us are standing, Commander, it just doesn't look that way."

Shepard didn't respond, digging her nails into her palms and clenching her jaw to keep herself quiet. As much as she wanted to, telling the Admiral to 'fuck off', wouldn't help her situation any. Hackett waited for a moment before shaking his head, his eyes like ice chips.

"You have a week to surrender yourself into Alliance custody. Don't make us come looking for you, Commander."

Without another word, he spun on his heel and left. Shepard stared after him, blood rushing in her ears. _A week. I'd be surprised if they gave me a fucking day._

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A/N: Hello! Before we continue on, I think it is important to say a few things about this story first. This is a ME3 rewrite fic which means that _a lot_ of things are going to be different. Some changes are small, some big but I have my reasons for each one. Anything that is different from canon is completely intentional and all part of the plan ;).


	2. Chapter One

A/N: A big thank you to those that put this on their alerts and favorites.

Disclaimer: Mass Effect is the property of EA/Bioware and so on and so forth.

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**Chapter One: Four months, eleven hours Before the Fall of Earth**

It was late.

Shepard lay in bed, exhausted but wide awake, running through the same useless relaxation techniques she always did. It was a routine she had started a long time ago and was probably stuck with it for the rest of her life. It didn't bother her so much, really. The sleeplessness was familiar; comfortable. Heavy like a well-worn sweater.

At around one in the morning, she gave up and climbed out of bed, not even having to look at her holographic alarm to know what time it was. Pulling on some loose pants, Shepard made her way to the little kitchen. The Alliance kept it fully stocked; Vega bringing by cheap packaged food and blunt plastic utensils every week. Most of the meals were complete shit, of course,- and the coffee even worse- but sometimes she found a few choice items slipped in as well. Cans of things that were actual food instead of just looking like it and- best of all- tiny packets of expensive, dark-roasted coffee. Why-or how- these things ended up in her groceries, Shepard couldn't be sure but she took it as proof that the situation wasn't as hopeless as she'd thought. She had some friends left, apparently, and if they were lucky, they'd manage to get the galaxy's shit together before it was too late.

She set some of the prized coffee to brew and braided her hair as she waited, her jaw cracking with a yawn. After a minute, the coffee machine beeped and she grabbed the mug, the drink already prepped with sugar and plenty of cream. Shepard walked over to the full-length windows that overlooked the city and settled herself on the floor in front of them. Taking a cautious sip of steaming coffee, she wearily leaned a shoulder against the glass and gazed out.

The windows were tinted at night but it didn't do much to filter out the sights and sounds of an ever restless Vancouver. The city was a storm of activity, the streets and airways bright with people and skycars. It had been a long time since Shepard had lived here and she'd certainly never lived _here,_ where everything was shiny and well-kept, but it was recognizable enough that she thought more about those days than she had in years.

She didn't dwell on it much- it was all ancient history and much worse horrors had taken its place- but her thoughts would linger sometimes. She had been so different back then and yet, not at all. A lot of things had changed and the desperate kid with the cheap pistol and ugly gang tattoo probably the most. The junky gun replaced with gleaming new ones. The tattoo hidden beneath art that had been left patchy and faded after her death. The desperation turned into something hard and strong. But that kid was still there even if she didn't like to admit it.

Huffing out a dry laugh, Shepard realized she'd come full-circle. It had taken fourteen years, but here she was, back in the city where she'd been born, trying to keep herself out of prison. With nothing but crap food and her own wits to keep her afloat. Hell, after over a decade of shaving her head, it was like she'd grown her hair out again for just this occasion. _I'd say I've got the 'murder' part down, too._ It was a bitter, sobering thought and she supposed she was proof that the past never really died. At some point, somebody had to answer for it.

Shepard sighed and took another sip of coffee, craning her neck to look down at the glowing lines of traffic. The apartment they had given her was high up. How high, she couldn't be sure but she was a good distance above the skycar lanes. The view was a bit dizzying but Shepard enjoyed it. Staring down at the rush of life had become a way to try to distract herself during her two months of incarceration.

_Two months._ She shook her head in disbelief._ Feels more like a fucking lifetime._ Every day was a test of patience and each more frustrating than the last. She had to work hard to keep her temper cool, mostly by throwing herself into every type of physical training she could think of. It never helped much but Shepard did it anyway, if only to keep herself busy. To make herself feel something other than useless and afraid.

And that was it, wasn't it? The Reapers were on their way, Cerberus was doing who knew what, Thane was fucking _dying_...And there wasn't a damn thing she could do about any of it.

The longing hit her sudden and fast, like being stabbed in the heart. She missed him, so much that it hurt, and Shepard closed her eyes tight against the feeling. She wished that she could see him, speak to him, if only to know that he was still alive. But she couldn't. Chances were that if she ever saw Thane again, it would be at his funeral. For all she knew, he was already dead, his brilliant scales pale and gray, his scarlet throat bloodless, eyes wide and glassy- _**No**_. She shuddered and shoved the image away. _He's still alive. I'll see him again. He's still alive._

She'd see him again. She had allowed herself to be arrested to prevent a war but Thane was dying. There would come a point when duty wouldn't be enough to keep her here and away from him when he needed her. Shepard opened her eyes, her face steely. The Alliance kept close tabs on her- having security cameras in the apartment, making Vega tail every step she took, blocking her communications- but none of that mattered. Shepard was a trained N7 and a Spectre. Nobody could force her to be somewhere she didn't want to be. When she decided to leave, there wasn't going to be a damn thing the Alliance could do to stop her.

* * *

Shepard startled awake, her heart beating wildly in her throat. The apartment was silent and still and she relaxed with a sigh. Her neck ached and she rubbed at it absentmindedly, realizing she'd fallen asleep leaning sideways against the window. She carefully stretched out all of the kinks and glanced outside. It was still dark.

There was a quiet, mechanical whir and Shepard snapped her head around. The lights were off but it was still bright enough for her to see the outline of a man and the muted glint of the pistol in his hands. She didn't have time to see anything else.

The pistol fired and at the same instant, she formed a barrier, barely blocking the shot aimed at her head. Her attacker kept firing and Shepard dove forward, hearing several rounds strike the glass behind her. Springing to her feet, she turned and with a sharp gesture, threw a warp. He dodged easily, the ball of biotic energy flying past him. It smashed into a lamp, tearing the flimsy metal apart.

The screech of splitting metal ringing in her ears, Shepard released a shockwave, throwing disorienting blue light across the room. He danced around her, raising his pistol to fire, but she kept up her attack, forcing him on the defensive. Another warp and it splashed into his chest. He stumbled but quickly steadied himself, laughing low and quiet. Twisting to avoid her next attack, he casually tossed his gun to the side. It slid across the floor and to the other side of the room, out of reach for both of them. With a flash of teeth, he lifted his hands into the air in surrender.

Against her better judgment, Shepard stopped and stared at him suspiciously, the acrid smell of her biotics stinging her nose. He didn't move and her eyes darted over him, watching for any hint of motion. His armor was dark, blending into the gloom, but she could tell it was top-of-the-line. The light from her barrier flickered, throwing the bright logo on his chest in stark relief. _Cerberus._ Shepard felt her lips curl and her eyes leaped back to his face. It was obscured by a close-fitting visor and the strange shadows cast by the limited light and she didn't recognize him.

"I'd hoped you would make this interesting, Shepard," he spoke suddenly, no longer laughing but his grin was still wide and sharp. "I don't believe I will be disappointed."

"If you have something to say, then say it," she said coldly, her whole body flaring with biotic energy. She wasn't going to be drawn into his game.

Calmly dropping his hands, the assassin gave up on the pretense of surrender. "The Illusive Man told me you were short-tempered. That I would be able to goad you into a mistake. But he was wrong, wasn't he Shepard." He shifted his stance, pulling out a pair of long knives. "Good."

"He's been wrong about a lot of things, lately." She smirked. "Now, who are you. Besides the Illusive Man's little lapdog."

"A messenger." He began to circle her and she moved with him, keeping him within her line of sight. "The Illusive Man hasn't forgotten about you. Or your betrayal."

"And the message?"

His grin shone. "Your death."

She bared her teeth right back. "If the Illusive Man wants me dead, he can come kill me himself."

Shepard didn't wait for a response. With a smooth thrust of her arm, she released her biotics, the energy flowing like a wave. The assassin leaped away and toward her, slashing at her throat. She blocked and aimed a strike at his unprotected face, her fist glowing blue. But he was fast and she hit empty air.

It was a furious dance; a blur of light and deadly metal. The knives gave him the advantage and Shepard was forced to be cautious, holding back her attacks to avoid their sharp edges. A blade flashed toward her. Breathing heavily, she spun away. Her blood was roaring in her ears, nerves tingling with power. Sweat was pouring down her face and into her eyes, making her blink.

It was enough. A fist crashed into her cheek, the knife cutting into her scalp and ear. The world disappeared in a haze of black. She reeled, her skull blazing with pain. Then the world came rushing back. Her vision was gray but she could see the glint of a knife striking down at her throat. Hurriedly, Shepard smacked it to the side. It dragged across her skin but missed its fatal target. Stepping toward him, she smashed an elbow into one side of his jaw and then the other.

The assassin's head snapped both directions in quick succession and he fell back, just able to stay on his feet. She let him, shaking her head to try and clear it. Her vision slid slightly before settling. The cuts on her head and the top of her shoulder were stinging and Shepard could feel blood trickling down her skin. The tip of her ear was weeping heavily, blood pooling inside of it. She ignored it. Her cybernetics worked fast and the wounds were already beginning to scab over. They were both panting hard, exhaustion starting to kick in, but it wasn't anywhere close to being over.

"If that's all you've got, assassin," Shepard said harshly, watching as he struggled to right himself. "you might as well give up now while you still have your life."

Snarling, he faced her, livid bruises starting to show on his jaw. He twirled his knives threateningly. "You're nothing, Shepard. Weak. The Great Commander Shepard dies tonight and I will be the one to kill her."

He stabbed at her stomach and she spun away. She punched, breaking his nose with a sharp _crack_. His head jerked and he struck out blindly, trying to keep her at bay. Grabbing his outstretched arm, she turned and threw him over her shoulder, tossing him at the window. He slammed into it with a grunt, cracking the already weakened glass.

Blood dripping from his nose, he snarled at her and tried to push himself to his feet. His armor protected him but only so much. With a swift motion, Shepard called on her biotics and lifted the nearby kitchen table, lobbing it at the assassin. It flew through the air like it had been launched from a canon and he barely managed to lurch away in time. It clipped his shoulder, sending him to the floor , and crashed into the window, shattering it.

The blast of cold, night air was a shock and she sucked in a breath, shuddering. He was climbing to his feet and she narrowed her eyes, gathering her biotics. A throw smashed into him, making him skid toward the edge. Another throw. The assassin's fingers scrabbled against the floor, looking for purchase.

Metal screeched and groaned behind her and she glanced behind her, feeling a flash of relief. _Finally. _The apartment door was being pried open and Shepard could see Alliance blue on the other side. Vega was shouting her name but she didn't bother to answer, turning back to her opponent. He was still half on the ground, one hand supporting him while the other was clenched into a fist.

"It's over, assassin," she said.

He straightened slowly, broken glass crunching beneath his feet, and smirked. "Not quite."

Opening his hand, he revealed the flashbang grenade nestled inside. _Shit._ He tossed it and Shepard immediately covered her eyes but it wasn't enough. The grenade went off at her feet, instantly dazing her. Her ears were left ringing and she removed her arm from her face, the world tilting and the edges of her vision a blaze of white.

The assassin had closed in, blades lunging for her and lips spread wide in a blood-stained grin. Stumbling, she deflected them but clumsily and she dropped her guard, allowing a crippling kick to her knee. She cried out and her leg bowed. He pounced, latching onto her and spinning her around. Shepard struggled but his armor absorbed her blows and he held tight. Wrapping an arm around her throat, he held his knife to a spot between her ribs. She stilled and he laughed quietly.

"Be good, _Commander_," he whispered with a sneer, eyes on the Alliance soldiers trying to force their way inside. He started to drag her, back toward the open expanse behind them.

"Fuck you," she snarled, fighting to throw him off of her. The knife point dug in threateningly but Shepard ignored it. She would end up with a lot worse than a punctured lung if she didn't.

His arm squeezed her throat, making her choke and tear uselessly at it. Black spots began to crowd her vision. "Do you feel it yet, Shepard? The fear, the panic." It surged through her, clawing at every nerve in her body. "The pounding of your heart as it struggles to beat." Every throb was like an explosion in her chest. "Remember this moment, Shepard. And know that it's because you were too weak to stop it."

The door opened with a loud bang and he loosened his hold just enough. She gasped in a breath and color returned to the world. The group of four Alliance soldiers poured into the apartment, weapons in hand. The marines fanned out around them with Lieutenant Vega directly in front, his pistol trained on the man behind her. The flashlights mounted on their guns were on, flooding the area with light.

"You're a little late for the party, Vega," Shepard wheezed, squinting against the sudden brightness. "Did you guys miss your invitation?"

Vega didn't take his eyes off his target. "Looks like we got here just in time, Commander. You alright?"

The wind picked up, bitter and cold, blowing strands of sweat-soaked hair into her face. She looked at the long fall waiting behind her and then quickly away. "I've been better!"

"We're going to get you out of this, Commander!" he shouted.

"No," the assassin breathed into her ear, close enough that she could feel the smile on his lips, "they won't."

Shepard's eyes widened, knowing exactly what he was going to do. Time slowed and she desperately jabbed an elbow into his solar plexus. He stepped back into open air, taking her with him.

* * *

They dropped fast. The assassin let go of her immediately and Shepard twisted, shoving him away. He laughed, the sound almost swallowed by the wind screaming in her ears, and she craned her neck to look at him. He wasn't facing her anymore, instead watching as a sleek skycar raced their way. It pulled up next to him, keeping pace as they sped toward to ground. The driver's door opened and he latched on, hauling himself inside. Shepard launched a warp, the angle awkward, and the door slammed shut. The warp smashed against the window, making the glass crumble. He glanced up at her, meeting her glare with a vicious flash of teeth.

Her blood simmered and Shepard turned away as the assassin drove off. He didn't matter anymore. Breathing heavily, she closed her eyes and tried to focus. Her heart was pounding with fear but she didn't have time to panic. She could survive this but she had to _focus_.

Her nerves tingled and the familiar smell of her biotics- like a freshly struck match- filled her nose. She flared with energy, a brilliant comet falling through the sky. Traffic lurched, a burst of chaos, as she dropped passed the first lane of skycars. Her stomach flipped. She kept her eyes closed, desperately trying to concentrate. The second lane went by. Shepard could feel herself begin to slow. The third.

She opened her eyes. The world was a blur, the wind drawing out tears. She was close to the ground now, but she was still going too fast. Twenty feet. She held her breath. Fifteen feet. Time went still. Her nerves were on fire but she didn't let up, blazing her biotics even brighter. Ten. She continued to reduce her speed. Not enough. Five. A flash of fathomless green eyes.

She hit the ground.

Her breath left her in a rush and her head cracked loudly against the pavement. Stars exploded above her. Gaping, she tried to gasp in air but she couldn't, her chest seizing painfully. The world around her was in chaos, traffic forced into a noisy standstill, and somewhere, she could hear sirens. It was getting dark. Her eyelids flickered.

"Commander!"

Something touched her and it was like being struck by lightning. Lungs heaving, she drew breath. Her vision swayed and brightened. Vega's massive form was leaning over her, his face pale and more serious than she'd ever seen. There were others too but she didn't recognize any of them. She dug her nails into the ground.

"Shit." He disappeared. Heart hammering against her ribs, she shuddered and every nerve in her body screamed. "Give the Commander some room!"

Vega swam back into view, his skin bright blue, and Shepard realized she had gathered her biotics around her. "Just relax, Commander. Don't go all crazy biotic on us, alright?"

"Vega, what-" she started, confused, the words coming out garbled. Her thoughts flittered away from her and she went quiet.

She was lying in something wet and warm, whatever it was soaking into her shirt and hair. Darkness was edging in on her and she blinked sluggishly. Exhaustion washed over her, pulling her under. Heavy fingers yanked her eyelids back open.

"Hey, come on, Commander, sleeping's a bad idea, right now."

That was important. She had to stay awake. She had to...She was drifting in warmth. There was something...She couldn't remember. She didn't _want_ to remember. It was quiet here, comfortable. For an instant, she felt like she was flying. Then, nothing.


	3. Chapter Two

A/N: Thanks again to those that put this (and me!) on their alerts and favorites.

Disclaimer: Mass Effect is the property of EA/Bioware and so on and so forth.

**Chapter Two: Three months, twenty-nine days, five hours Before the Fall of Earth**

The new apartment they had given her was a perfect copy of the old one, only clean and tidy and less like a bomb had gone off inside. She glanced around, careful not to jar her head too much. It was the same down to the color of the walls and placement of the furniture. She didn't mind. It meant she could strewn her things about in the exact same way she had before.

She dropped the bag of personal items -none of them actually hers-and winced as she pulled the long cut on her shoulder. Like most of the wounds that assassin had given her, it had ended up being much deeper than she'd first thought. "Ow. Shit"

Vega glanced over from where he was setting up the portable terminal on the kitchen table. "You alright, Commander?"

Shepard sent him a withering look and he quickly raised his hands into the air in surrender. "Hey, now. Just askin', Commander."

Puffing out a breath, she ran a hand through her hair and the spark of irritation died as quickly as it came. "Right. Sorry."

He shrugged and a grin spread over his face. "No problem, Commander. The doc said you'd be moody with that concussion and all."

She scowled again but her lips twitched rebelliously. "Watch it, Vega. Concussion or not, I can still kick your ass."

"True enough," He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "Terminal's up and running. Ready to make a call whenever you are."

Shepard walked over and sat down in front of it, smiling wryly. "With you here making sure I don't use my infamous tech skills to cause unimaginable chaos, right?"

Grimacing, he shifted his feet awkwardly. "Something like that, Commander."

She watched him in amusement. Vega was built like a brick wall and it was almost absurd to see him squirm. Like watching a bashful krogan. He was a bit of a puzzle, actually, and not what she'd expected her assigned keeper to be. Friendlier, for one, and carefully respectful in a way she'd seen enough times to know was real. She had been generally suspicious of him at first- because, hell, she's _always_ suspicious- but eventually she decided he was genuine. Which was just as strange, really, but she didn't have enough good luck left to go around questioning it.

"Make yourself at home, Vega. If you wish real hard, you'll find beer in the fridge," she said, turning to the terminal and setting up the vid-call.

He shuffled uncertainly a bit more then moved away to sit on the couch. "Right. I'll just be...over here."

Thoughts already light-years away, Shepard barely heard him, tapping her fingers against the table anxiously. It didn't take long for the call to connect but she couldn't help the impatient huff of air as she waited. The screen flickered, making her stomach flip, and Thane appeared. A grin bloomed on her face and Shepard leaned forward, drinking in the sight of him.

He was dressed in a loose, charcoal gray tunic, a style she'd seen him wear only a handful of times. It suited him, showing off the brightness of his throat and scales and his body's easy strength. He looked good- better than the darkest part of her had expected- and the uneasy pit in her stomach relaxed. His eyes were tired but alert, his breathing no more labored than ever, and it was almost like no time had passed at all.

"Siha." He was smiling, a pleased hum vibrating in his throat, but it died almost immediately. Looking her over, his expression darkened and his eyes lingered on the yellowed bruises on her throat and face. "What happened?"

"First off, I'm fine," she said quickly. Her face was already starting to ache but she didn't want to stop smiling. "Second, the vid-call's being monitored so don't say anything you don't want the whole of the Alliance to know."

"I see." Thane blinked his inner eyelids and his face closed off slightly. Enough to hide from those that did not know him well. Shepard knew him very well. "But you didn't answer my question, Shepard."

"Like I said, I'm fine." She started to shake her head but stopped, wincing at the headache that instantly flared up. "The Illusive Man just sent an assassin-shaped parting gift."

She ran through the details, leaving nothing out. Thane listened quietly, his hands clasped in front of his chin and the familiarity of the gesture made her heart skip a beat. By the end, he was frowning deeply.

"That is disquieting. It's fortunate that you're as skilled with your biotics as you are or he might have succeeded in his mission."

"It was close," her fingers brushed lightly against the back of her skull and the pieces that had been carefully put back together, "but he was too cocky. He didn't even bother to close the vents he snuck through."

Rumbling thoughtfully, he nodded. "That, in particular, is telling. I don't believe that he was a professional. He enjoyed his work to the point of foolishness and left his trail for all to see. A mistake of the amateurish."

"A little strange, don't you think," Shepard said, raising an eyebrow. "The Illusive Man is practically made of credits. He could afford to hire anyone. Why send someone that doesn't know what they're doing?"

"Perhaps he had no choice. It's possible that losing the Collector base was as crippling to his operations as we'd hoped."

"Wouldn't that be nice," she sighed. "Well, I probably haven't seen the last of his pet assassin so I'll be sure to ask him next time."

"It's troubling that he managed to escape but you're right," Thane's hands dropped to rest comfortably on the table in front of him. "The Illusive Man's not one to take defeat well."

Shepard smirked. "Especially when it comes with a four billion credit price tag."

"Indeed," he said, his expression amused. "You have become a very expensive problem for him."

"And here I wasn't even trying."

His smile was small, barely a quirk of his lips, but genuine. "I'm glad you are safe, Shepard. The Alliance is treating you well?"

"Well enough," she said lightly but her face was tense, "though they keep close tabs on me. They've cut off my communications and except for Vega, you're the first person I've talked to in a while."

"Vega?"

"My personal babysitter," she explained wryly, glancing over her shoulder at the marine sitting on the couch. Vega was fiddling with his omni-tool, pretending he wasn't listening but she didn't miss the twitch at her words. "The Alliance assigned him to follow me around and lose to me at poker."

He raised his head at that with a lopsided grin. "Hey, I only lose 'cause you're a cheat, Commander."

"What you call cheating, Vega, I call clever innovation."

Smirking at his scoff, Shepard tossed Thane a playful wink and he quietly hummed his amusement.

"I see. I'd assumed your messages were kept from you when you didn't respond to my letters," he angled his head and his expression became shadowed, "but it was concerning."

"They thought I would contact Cerberus or something. I don't really know." She laughed a bit darkly. "I guess that theory went flying out the window along with me."

Brow furrowing at the joke, Thane let out a discontented thrum. "Perhaps."

Shepard hummed right back and tucked her hair behind her ear, grazing the tip that had been sliced off. "You look good, by the way."

"Thank you." Pleased, the red of his throat deepened a shade and she grinned. "I've begun receiving daily treatments for my illness."

"They're going well, then?"

"As well as can be expected," he nodded, glancing briefly at his hands, "but it has been...difficult."

Stomach flipping nervously, she frowned. "What do you mean?"

"For the past several months, I've been following developments in the treatment of Kepral's Syndrome closely. I had hoped-" He stopped and visible stilled himself, his inner eyelids flicking closed. "A potential treatment has been developed but there have been complications."

"What kind of complications?"

"It's called the Eupulmos Device. It acts something like inhalable medi-gel, releasing medication directly into the lungs. It's also capable of delivering microsurgery machines to repair lesions. Something that's often too dangerous under more invasive methods for patients like myself." His palms flashed toward the ceiling, another gesture she thought of as purely his. "Unfortunately, it's currently wrapped up in legal controversy. It's likely that by the time it's made available, it will be of no use to me."

"Don't think like that," she said, her voice harsher than she'd meant it to be. "You can still beat this."

"I have been to several doctors, Shepard. My favorite gave me three months to live. Five months ago." He looked away and rested his elbows on the table in front of him. "I've already lived longer than I should have."

Hesitating, she tapped her fingers once then spoke softly. "There's still time to add your name to the transplant list, Thane."

"You know my thoughts on this, Shepard," he said tersely. "They haven't changed."

Her hand reached out to touch his, even though it was somewhere across the galaxy. "Please, will you at least think about it?"

"I will not."

The silence that followed was tense. _If not for me,_ she wanted to say, _why not for your son?_ But she bit her tongue. Their time was short and she didn't want to spend it with hurtful words. Thane had made up his mind and nothing she said would change it.

She changed the subject.

"Have you heard anything about the others?"

"Professor Solus and Doctor Chakwas have both been kind enough to keep in touch," he responded, his tone warm once again. "They are doing well. The Professor, in particular, seems to be enjoying his work with the STG."

"I'm not surprised." She smiled. "Mordin could never resist a challenge."

Thane nodded. "Doctor Chakwas is apparently still on Earth. She's not officially in custody but the Alliance seems to be unsure of what to do with her. She believes they are awaiting the results of your trial before deciding."

"I don't know why they would," she said, frowning. "The trial is really just a formality. I'm practically already convicted."

"You don't know that, Shepard."

"I've admitted to everything, Thane." She looked away, her expression grim. "Several times, in fact, hoping if I say 'Reapers' enough, someone will believe me."

"There's only so much you can do to change the minds of others."

Her lips twisted bitterly at that, thinking of the man on the other side of the vid-call. "Don't I know it."

Furrowing his brow, Thane crooned a short, soothing note. "The Reapers aren't yet here. We still have hope."

"Yeah," she took a deep breath and met his eyes steadily, "we do."

Someone coughed uncomfortably and Shepard blinked. "Time's up, Commander."

She glanced over her shoulder. Vega's face was apologetic and he shrugged. Sighing she looked back at Thane with a sad smile.

"Well, you heard the man. Apparently, the Alliance is feeling only so generous."

He nodded deeply, the flickering of his inner eyelids a sign of his disappointment. "I understand. It was good to speak with you, Shepard."

"Yeah, listen, I-" She bit her lip and her nails clicked against the table. He waited patiently but she couldn't seem to get the words out, no matter how much she wanted to. "I- I'll call you again if I can."

The screen went black and she stared at it blankly, her throat feeling tight. Standing abruptly, she moved to stand in front of the large window and crossed her arms tightly. _I love you. I'm sorry, I'm a coward,_ she thought,_ I love you_. But it was already too late.


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: A big thank you to those of you that have subscribed, added this story (and me) to your favorites, and reviewed. Constructive criticism is always welcome!

Disclaimer: Mass Effect is the property of EA/Bioware and so on and so forth.

* * *

**Chapter Three: Three months, eight days Before the Fall of Earth**

_"Commander Jane Shepard, you have been found guilty of the charges of membership in a terrorist organization and genocide. You are sentenced to 305,000 consecutive life-terms and are hereby dishonorably discharged from service. You are to be held in the confinement facility on the base until such time that you are to be transferred to the Systems Alliance Correctional Institution."_

* * *

It was cold and dark gray clouds had rolled in, threatening rain. Typical for Vancouver in the spring. Vega bounced on his heels impatiently and resisted the urge to pace. He was supposed to meet her here, in a shadowy corner just outside the base, but she was late and he'd never been good at waiting. Especially since it was all a little shifty for his tastes. If he had it his way, he'd just run in, grab the Commander, and run out in a hail of gunfire. But hey, if the ones in charge wanted to play it sneaky, he'd just have to go with it. Looking around, he tried to spot- what was her name again? Katsuki? Kusuma? Hell, he couldn't remember. The Japanese girl with the hood and sticky-fingers.

"Looking for me?"

Vega whirled around in surprise but relaxed as he realized who was behind him. Rubbing the back of his neck, he shook his head. "Damn, you trying to give me a heart attack? I didn't even hear you coming."

Only her playful smile visible beneath her black hood, Kasumi gazed up at him and placed a hand on her hip. "I wouldn't be the best thief in the galaxy if you had. You ready for a little breaking and entering?"

"Only if you are, Paws." He handed her the case of Alliance armor. "Hope you like the gift."

"I'm always a sucker for new things, Mr. Vega," she told him cheerfully, popping open the case and using her omni-tool to scan the pieces inside. "And the name's Kasumi, since you've forgotten."

"Sorry. I'm not so great with names so I like to give people new ones," Vega said with a shrug. "Easier to remember, you know?"

"But why '_Paws_'?"

"'Cause you're quiet. Like a cat." He blinked at her dubious look. "What? It makes sense."

"If you say so." Standing, she began putting the hardsuit on over her fabric armor. "The ID chips in the armor will help us get past most of the security but once we get to the Command Center, we'll have to improvise."

"Have something in mind?" Vega asked curiously.

She looked up at him with a coy smile, clicking a clamp on her gauntlet into place. "Oh, I thought a few flashbangs would do the trick."

"I like how you think, Paws."

"Hmm. I thought you might." Kasumi finished latching herself into the armor and jammed the helmet on her head with a grimace. "How you Alliance-types can stand wearing this, I'll never know."

"I'd be willing to give you a few pointers," he told her, grinning. "You know, one on one."

She tossed him a wink. "Sorry, Mr. Vega. I have eyes for only one set of perfect abs. Now, come on. We have a base to break into."

* * *

Vega looked over the Alliance personnel sitting cuffed and gagged along the wall, still looking a little dazed from the flashbangs. Whatever mods Paws packed into those things, they kicked some serious ass. Turning away from their unfocused glares, he examined the multiple monitors and consoles scattered about the room. He didn't know what any of them were for but it looked complicated. "I hope you know what you're doing, Paws."

"Please," Kasumi smirked at him sideways, sashaying over to a console, "I've hacked through better security in my sleep."

Snorting, he moved to keep an eye on the surveillance cameras while she worked, assault rifle in hand. Tech wasn't really his specialty and now that they'd snuck and bullied into the Command Center, he was regulated to watch duty. Her radio crackled lightly and Thane's voice came over the comm. _"Kasumi, come in."_

"Kasumi here."

"_I've reached the maintenance shaft but I'll need your assistance to get in."_

She flipped through the video feeds for a bit before spotting the assassin. He was crouched on the roof of the detention center, half-hidden behind a support and a cloud of steam. "I see you. Wave hello to the camera, Thane!"

He gave it a cool glance and she grinned. "Just having a little fun. No need to get all 'dangerous assassin' on me."

Silence was her only response and Kasumi rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright. Give me a minute."

Thane bowed his head as he waited, moving his lips in silent prayer. She couldn't hear what he was saying but she knew the prayer, having heard it plenty of times before. Religion wasn't really her thing- she believed in her own skill and luck and nothing else- but she was glad he was doing it. Shep was in need of all the help she could get.

A few moments of hacking overloaded the kinetic barrier protecting the duct and killed the building's alarms. She let out a triumphant laugh. "Got it!"

Looking up, he nodded and began prying the grate out of the wall. _"My thanks." _It took a bit of work but eventually, it popped free. Thane set it aside and slipped into the maintenance shaft, covering the entrance behind him. _"I'm activating the signal jammer. Going silent."_

"Okay, Shep," Kasumi's fingers flew over the glowing interface as Thane disappeared, "let's get you out of here."

* * *

They'd put her in an empty holding block. Shepard didn't know if she was just the only prisoner on the base or if they were intentionally isolating her. Either way, she was alone except for the two guards on the other side of the kinetic barrier. They were facing away from her, standard-issue rifles in hand, and were ignoring her as much as she was ignoring them.

Shepard sat on her cot, staring blankly at her knees, her thoughts far away. She felt...strange. Like the edges of the world had blurred and reshaped themselves into something unfamiliar. She'd been convicted. She was considered a traitor, a murderer and stripped of her rank as easily as if all it required was a change of clothes. _It doesn't matter. I know I did what I had to,_ she reminded herself firmly. She believed it too, for all the good it did her. In the end, she was all that and more to people she'd once considered friends.

It hadn't been unexpected when Kaidan was called in to testify against her but it had still felt like a punch to the gut. He hadn't looked at her as he recounted their meeting on Horizon, telling only the dry facts. It wasn't until he was leaving the courtroom that his eyes met hers, his expression cold and hurt and a thousand other things she couldn't identify. Shepard had stared back, her face as stoic as she could manage, and in the end, he looked away first. It had made her gut twist and old hurts flare but mostly it had made her angry all over again. _Fuck you, Kaidan_, she'd thought bitterly. _You weren't there. You should have been there._

But he hadn't been and it didn't really matter now.

The door to the holding block swooshed open and she looked up, jumping to her feet in alarm. The kinetic barrier that separated her from the rest of the room distorted her view but she could still see the two bodies sprawled out in the hallway. There wasn't any blood but she couldn't be sure if they were just out cold or not. Her guards stared blankly for a moment before the one on the right seemed to realize what was happening and shook herself into action.

"Shit," she breathed before turning to the other guard. "Stay here and radio Command, Rozsa. I'll check on the others."

Frowning, Shepard approached the kinetic barrier. "You shouldn't go out there alone."

"Sit back down and shut up, Shepard." The guard glared but didn't quite look at her, eyes darting to avoid it.

She gazed back coldly, crossing her arms. "You're walking straight into a damned trap, soldier."

Scowling, the guard looked away without responding and gave Rozsa a short nod. Shepard shook her head and watched as she cautiously approached the exit, rifle at the ready. The door was still open, having locked into position.

"This is Private Rozsa in holding block 2A. Come in." Static burst through Rozsa's radio, loud enough for Shepard to hear, and he cursed. "Fuck."

The soldier had reached the exit. She scanned the hallway and seeing nothing, stepped out. Lowering her weapon, the guard kneeled and checked the pulse of the body nearest to her. There was a pause and then several things happened at once.

The door slammed shut and the lock glowed red, cutting her off from the cell block. Rozsa's radio screamed into his ear, making him yell and toss the tiny earpiece to the floor. The lights and the kinetic barrier blazed, the shield buzzing audibly as it overloaded. With a brilliant flash, the power died and it went dark.

Blinking away afterimages, Shepard went into a crouch and listened carefully, her muscles tensing for a fight. It was eerily quiet; the only sounds a muffled thump from the hallway and the creak of Rozsa's armor as he moved. He turned on his flashlight and swept the narrow beam across the room. Except for the two of them, it was empty and she straightened. With a quick gesture, she formed a barrier and took a cautious step out of her cell.

Rozsa whirled at the sudden glow, his eyes widening slightly as he realized that she'd been set free. Pointing his rifle at her face, he backed away.

"On your knees, hands behind your head, Shepard!" he barked, his grip on the gun visibly tightening.

Shepard squinted and raised a hand to shield her eyes from the light. "Listen up, Private," she said calmly. "I'm not the enemy here. Whatever's going on, we have to deal with it together."

He didn't waver. "On the ground, _now_."

"You're making a mistake, soldier."

Taking a step toward her, he thrust his weapon at her aggressively. "Get on the fucking ground!"

Quick as lightning, Shepard moved, knocking the rifle away. He fired off a reflexive shot but it missed and she smashed a precise fist into his chin. Rozsa's head snapped to the side and he dropped like a stone, unconscious. Catching him, she carefully guided his body to the floor then picked up his gun. _Idiot._ Shaking her head, she left him lying outside the cell and glanced over the weapon. It was in poor condition- clearly Rozsa wasn't one for weapon maintenance- and loaded with concussive rounds only but it would have to do.

The emergency power abruptly turned on, bathing the room in dim white light, and Shepard switched off the flashlight. The lock on the door flickered into existence, now bright green, and the door slid open. Unsurprisingly, the first guard had joined the others on the ground and there was still no sign of their attacker. She approached on silent feet, senses on high alert. Using the wall as cover, she scanned the shadowed hallway beyond and did a double-take.

"Thane?" She stepped over the threshold, lowering the rifle and staring at him in confusion.

Thane came out of the nearby shadows, a smile on his lips. "Hello, siha."

Laughing, Shepard dropped the gun and threw her arms around his neck. He embraced her back, a deep hum that she could barely hear, vibrating in his throat. Eyes stinging slightly, she buried her face into his shoulder. The collar of his armor bent and dug into her cheek but she barely noticed it. She held on tightly, feeling that if she didn't, he'd slip away like a dream. At the moment, she didn't care what he was doing here, only that he was.

"We have to hurry, siha." He spoke into her hair after a moment, lips brushing against the missing tip of her ear.

"Of course we do," Shepard sighed, pulling away, but she was smiling. "I can't believe you're here."

"I wasn't going to leave you to your fate, siha. The Alliance has had you long enough."

"Damn straight," she said, lips thinning. She'd done her duty; stopping a war with the batarians. But there were bigger problems and she was tired of sitting on her ass. The Reapers were coming and it was time she did something about it.

"What's the plan?"

Thane's smile was mischievous. "To return you to the _Normandy_."

"You sweet-talker, you." Grinning, she glanced at the unconscious soldiers at her feet, their faces smushed comically against the floor. "I assume you have a way of doing that without declaring war on every soldier on the base."

"There's a maintenance shaft nearby that connects to the outside of the building. From there we can make our way to a landing zone where the _Normandy_ will meet us."

She grimaced at the thought of going through the ducts but didn't object, knowing she didn't really have a lot of options. It was either crawl through the maintenance shaft or go to prison. Not much of a choice, but she'd take what she could get.

"Well, no use standing around. Lead the way."

"As you will, siha," he replied, nodding deeply.

His tone and expression was mild but his eyes were smiling, giving him away. Heart fluttering, her cheeks pinked and she turned away. "Let's go."

* * *

The maintenance shaft was bigger than she'd expected- at least a foot of space around her- but it was dark. Using their biotics to light the way, they crawled through. Thane was ahead of her, his memory guiding them through the various twists and turns. Shepard was glad that he couldn't see her face, knowing that it was pale with tension. More than once, she was forced to close her eyes, the feeling of the cold, steel walls lying heavily around her.

The shaft was narrowing. At least, she thought it was but she couldn't be sure. A shudder wracked through her and her chest tightened. She forced herself to take deep, even breaths. Clenching her jaw, she kept moving, her heart pounding in her ears.

"You know," Shepard said suddenly, her voice coming out slightly strained, "this isn't exactly the way I imagined my jailbreak."

Thane was quiet for a moment, listening to her shaky breathing echo through the duct. "What were you expecting, siha?"

"Gunfire and explosions," she replied, parroting something he had said to her a lifetime ago. He hummed his amusement and she smiled weakly, knowing that he would remember.

They continued on in silence, the only sound the soft _shoosh_ of clothing against metal. She focused on it, trying to ignore the feeling of being trapped. It didn't help. _Get a fucking grip on yourself, marine_, she thought, blinking sweat out of her eyes. Sucking in a breath, she closed her eyes and kept going.

* * *

"Flight Lieutenant Moreau, please authorize the shutdown of all non-critical systems on Deck 1."

EDI's voice was a chiming monotone, a perfect copy of every VI in the galaxy. For months now, they'd been giving the Alliance the run around and generally making the retrofit of the _Normandy _every engineer's worst nightmare. Joker hid his smirk. He didn't think he'd ever get tired of it.

Saito was beginning to shift restlessly at his post and Joker felt a flash of vindictive glee, typing in a few erroneous commands. He was a prick that always made a point of keeping his rifle holstered when they were alone and the best part of Joker's day was pissing him off. And nothing pissed Saito off quite like waiting for Joker. "Shutdown authorized."

"Thank you. Shutting down all non-critical systems on Deck 1."

EDI paused briefly and the hologram representing Deck 1 went dark. "Flight Lieutenant Moreau, please authorize the shutdown of all non-critical systems on Deck 3."

"For fuck's sake, Moreau, hurry it up," Saito burst out, folding his arms over his chest angrily, "You're not authorized to be on the ship once the engineers leave."

Joker glanced at the guard, an annoyed look on his face. "How many times do I have to tell you, Saito. You don't just power down the _Normandy_- the most advanced ship in the Alliance fleet- by pressing the big red 'OFF' button. It's not my fault the engineers skipped off home before the work was done."

"Flight Lieutenant Moreau, please authorize the shutdown of all non-critical systems on Deck 3."

Saito rolled his eyes but shut up. Smug, Joker turned back to the console. "Shutdown authorized."

"Thank you. Shutting down all non-critical systems on Deck 3."

The door to the bridge slid open with a quiet _whoosh_ and Joker spun his chair around, smiling eagerly. Doctor Chakwas had walked in, wearing her Alliance medic uniform and staring at him sternly.

"Hey, Mom," he greeted, tipping his cap up slightly. "You here to break me out?"

She opened her mouth to reply but stopped as Saito placed his considerable bulk between them. "Ma'am, you're not authorized on the _Normandy_ after hours. Please remove yourself from the ship."

Joker couldn't see her face, hidden as it was by a wall of Alliance blue, but he could imagine the icy glare that had taken it over. "When it comes to the welfare of my patients, soldier, I'm authorized to go where I please. Now stand aside."

"Ma'am-"

"Come on, Saito," he interrupted with a mocking laugh. "You're not honestly afraid of a doctor, are you?"

Saito glowered at Joker over his shoulder and that was all the opening Chakwas needed. Quick as a flash, she jabbed a long, wicked needle through the guard's undersuit and into his neck. Crying out, he slapped Chakwas' hand away but the sedative had already been released into his system.

Joker watched, smirking, as the drug took effect. Swaying dizzily, Saito blinked and stumbled away from the both of them, shaking his head. That only seemed to make it worse. Joker sent him a cheerful wave as he went down into a snoring heap on the floor.

"Nice work," he told Chakwas approvingly. "He didn't even see it coming."

"When you've spent almost your entire life in the Alliance like I have, Jeff," she said, calmly straightening her jacket, "you learn a few tricks."

Rolling up her sleeves, Chakwas bent down and hooked her arms under Saito's shoulders, his head lolling. She started to drag him noisily toward the open airlock, huffing a little at the exertion. His armor caught on the ridged floor but with a mighty yank, she managed to free it and continue on.

Joker turned to EDI's terminal with a grin. "You see, EDI, this is why I always play nice with the doctor."

Her holographic sphere appeared and she spoke, sounding interested. "I'm not sure what you're implying, Jeff."

"Just look at that form! You don't get form like that without hauling around a few bodies every once in a while. I'm telling you, EDI, there's a dark side to the doctor we're only just now seeing."

"Jeff," Chakwas paused and looked up, blowing a fallen strand of steel-gray hair out of her face, "kindly shut up before I drag _you_ out the airlock as well."

Winking, Joker snapped off a salute. "Aye, aye." He spun his chair back around and activated the comm., casually leaning back in his seat. "Hey, Kasumi, you there?"

There was a white-noise filled pause until Kasumi's bright voice came through. _"Kasumi here. I take it the Normandy is ready to go?"_

"Yeah, Chakwas is hiding the body now. We're all just waiting on you, Kasumi," Joker said, scratching at his beard. "Vega give you any trouble?"

"_Only the good kind."_

"You're really not very good at keeping your hands to yourself, are you?"

_"Nope! I'm patching EDI into the system. She'll have control over-Uh oh…That's not good."_

"What?" Joker leaned forward, frowning. "What's not good?"

_"The Command Center just went dark. The Alliance must have encoded a hidden secondary AI detection program into their system. Clever."_

"Shit." He began quickly scanning through various internal displays. "EDI, you still in their network?"

"Yes. Their AI threat-detection software attempted to power down my systems but I managed to divert its processes. The security for the entire base will now be inactive for several minutes."

"Let them try and figure that one out." Laughing, Joker tugged his hat further onto his head and began to power up the ship.

Chakwas returned then, walking over to slump tiredly into the co-pilot's chair. "Remind me to tell the Commander that she owes me a bottle of brandy for this," she puffed out, cheeks bright red.

Inputting a few more commands, Joker readied the ship for flight. "Alright, Kasumi, we're going to head to the landing zone. Once we open the hangar, though, all hell's going to break loose so you guys need to watch your asses."

"_Remember who you're talking to, Joker. We'll be fine. Looks like we've got some friends headed our way. Gotta go!"_

The comm. cut out but not before he heard a loud bang followed by Kasumi's mocking laugh. Grinning, he looked at EDI's hologram. "You know, Kasumi has the nice girl image down to an art but there's only so much you can do to hide the crazy."

EDI seemed to absorb that for a split second. "Do you try to 'hide the crazy', Jeff? If so, you don't succeed."

There was a beat of silence.

"That was a joke."

Shaking his head, Joker settled back into his seat and waited for the hangar door to open. "We really need to schedule those comedic study sessions, EDI. Just sayin'."

* * *

The maintenance shaft seemed to go on endlessly and the longer Shepard was forced to crawl through it, the harder it became for her to keep calm. She was breathing shallowly now and her hands and feet were tingling lightly; a bad sign. There was nothing she could do about it, though, except press on. She just had to press on.

"I didn't know you were claustrophobic, siha." Thane spoke unexpectedly, a delicate, soothing quality to his voice.

She huffed out a bitter laugh. She should have known better than to think he wouldn't notice. "Ridiculous, isn't it. Makes you wonder what the hell I've been doing living on spaceships for almost half my life."

"We all have our weaknesses, siha," he said and she could hear the frown on his face. "You are allowed yours."

That wasn't true and they both knew it. The Reapers had no mercy for weakness or mistakes. Especially, hers. The survival of the galaxy rested on her shoulders and nothing would bring back the lives lost if she allowed herself to fuck up.

She went on like he hadn't spoken. "It's different on starships, though. You can always look out a window and know that you're freer than you've ever been."

She didn't tell him the rest of it. That when her father left, he hadn't locked her in a starship that could carry her across the galaxy with a word and an eezo core that sung through her. That it had been a tiny room with a tiny window that had taken over a day for her to realize he wasn't letting her out of.

"I see," Thane said eventually. Shepard could tell that he knew there was plenty she wasn't saying but he didn't push her, knowing this wasn't the time. "We're almost to the outside, siha. We won't be here much longer."

Peeking around him as best she could, she saw what he was talking about. The shaft had opened up suddenly into a drop-off and Thane began to maneuver himself down into it. She crawled up to the edge and looked down. It was a long fall, the bottom hidden in shadow, but thick metal bars were drilled into the side, creating a ladder into the abyss. Thane began to climb down and Shepard followed after a few moments, harsh steel biting into her palms. This area of the ducts was wide, almost cavernous in comparison, and she immediately felt like she could breathe again.

The ladder took them down several floors before the shaft leveled out. Thane was crouched at the bottom, carefully removing a heavy grate from the wall as she jumped lightly off the last rung. They went through to the outside and she sighed in relief, reveling in the cold air on her face. Letting her biotics die, she wiped her sweaty palms on her pants and looked around. They were on a flat rooftop, high up enough that she had a decent view of the rest of the base. Several vents were billowing steam into the night, giving them a bit of cover.

"This way," Thane said.

He led her over to the edge of the roof and a short ladder. Before they could climb down, there was a clamoring noise and both Thane and Shepard threw themselves behind a support. Peering around it, she looked for the source of the sound. The haze in the air made it difficult but after a moment she spotted two figures in Alliance armor climbing onto the far side of the roof.

"I don't think they're here yet, Paws," the first figure said, a standard-issue rifle just visible on his back, and Shepard frowned. _Vega?_

The second figure- smaller and female- took off her helmet and tossed it carelessly aside. After adjusting the hood she had been wearing underneath, she began stripping off the rest of the hardsuit. "No, they're here. Probably debating if they should throw us off the roof or not."

_Kasumi? _Shepard looked at Thane in surprise. Smiling slightly, he stood and stepped out of hiding. She followed suit, shaking her head, but her lips twitched. Kasumi waved cheerfully as she emerged.

"Hey, Shep," she chirped, shucking a boot gleefully. "Surprised to see us?"

"I shouldn't be." Crossing her arms, Shepard smiled. "You never could resist a good heist. Though I am wondering what Vega is doing here."

"Questions will have to wait. We've got a bit of a problem."

She raised an eyebrow. "What kind of problem?"

In an instant, she had her answer. Alarms blared and the whole base lit up with floodlights. Shouts from the ground could be heard and it was clear they had been found out. Their little corner of the facility was spared the initial blaze of light but it was only a matter of time before they were found.

"That kind!"

"Got caught, did you?" Shepard asked wryly, almost having to yell to be heard above the sirens.

"Well, they were going to noticed what we were up to eventually." Kasumi smirked, eyes glittering beneath her hood. "I've just made it more fun!"

Shepard rolled her eyes but didn't comment. "Alright everyone, let's move before things get any more 'fun'. Lead the way, Thane!"

"Shepard, wait," Kasumi said, her face completely hidden in shadow. "I'm not coming with you."

Frowning, Shepard turned to her. "What do you mean?"

"I know you, Shep! As soon as I get on the _Normandy_, you'll try to get me to join you in your war."

"It's not my war, Kasumi," she told her, her face unreadable now. The others were watching quietly. "It's _everyone's_ war. The Reapers don't give a damn if you're a part of it or not!"

"I would do a lot for you, Shepard, and I did by helping you get out of here." Looking away, Kasumi shook her head slightly. "But I can't do another Collector Base. I can't fight a war."

Shepard was silent for a moment, sirens ringing in her ears, before she nodded with a stoicism she didn't feel. "I understand."

Smiling, Kasumi laughed lightly. "No, you don't. I'll be seeing you, Shep."

She activated her cloak and disappeared with a small wave. Shepard stared for a beat before turning away, pushing the sharp stabs of hurt and anger aside to be dealt with later. Or never.

Blinking, she took a deep, controlled breath and she was the Commander again. "Come on,"

Thane nodded and jogged back over to the ladder, her and Vega following after him. They jumped down onto a concrete beam that wrapped around the side of the building, Thane running along it without hesitation but Vega paused. She moved up next to him, staring at him expectantly, rain-scented wind tugging at her clothes and hair.

"Uh, Commander?" he glanced at her sideways, the muscles in his jaw tense. "There are other ways to get to the _Normandy_, no? 'Cause, I'm really not liking this way!"

"I bet you really wouldn't like prison either!" Her smirk was a little stiff though it was real enough. She slapped his armored shoulder bracingly. "Just keep moving, don't look down, and remember there's an army of pissed off marines after your ass!"

She pushed him ahead of her, ignoring how he blanched, and they began their careful jog after Thane. Glancing down at the distant ground, Shepard's heart skipped a bit and she felt the urge to laugh, the thrill erasing the last of Kasumi's words from her mind. When she was a kid, she used to stand at the tops of buildings and wonder if she jumped off, would it feel like she was flying. Having experienced it now, she could say that, no, it really didn't, but looking back, it had felt like something entirely different.

It had felt like when she had died.

Terrifying but also a little comforting. With the stars wheeling above her and the sensation of drifting through nothingness. She had been free. Free of guilt. Free of anger. And in the end, free of fear.

They reached the end of the beam and hauled themselves up onto a walkway built into the building. Metal grid clattering beneath their feet, they ran along it, now fully exposed under the blinding lights. They hurried up the building, scrambling up ladders and steep supports before stopping at the highest point they could reach. It was a narrow ledge, barely large enough to hold two people side-by-side. A few feet across from them, was the roof of another building, considerably flatter than the one they had just been climbing all over.

"This is where we're supposed to meet the _Normandy_, Shepard!" Thane called out and gestured to the opposite building, his gravelly voice almost lost to the wind.

She looked the area over but there was nowhere for the _Normandy_ to hide. Wherever the starship was, it wasn't here.

"Looks like we're early!"

Above the wail of alarms, Shepard could hear shuttle engines and knew they had been found. She was standing next to a decorative spotlight and the heat from it washed over her, reddening her skin. The landing zone was open and except for a maze of small air terminals, provided no cover. They'd be vulnerable there while they waited for the _Normandy_ to show up but there weren't a whole lot of options.

"Here's the deal, people!" Shepard shouted, leaning forward to see her whole team. The sound of shuttle engines was getting louder. "We're going to jump to the landing zone, hunker down, and wait for the _Normandy_!"

"And what?" Vega asked, looking a little pale behind his helmet. "Hope she gets here before the Alliance fries our asses? That's not much of a plan, Commander!"

Grinning, Shepard launched herself off the ledge. "Welcome to the crew, Vega!"

She could hear him swearing as she flew over the gap and she laughed lightly, landing heavily on the other side. Thane and Vega followed quickly and they spread out, heading for what cover they could find. It wasn't much and if the Alliance tried to surround them- which Shepard knew they would- it'd be over. What 'over' meant, exactly, she couldn't be sure. It all depended on how far the Alliance was willing to go to stop them.

"Incoming hostiles, Shepard!"

Shepard poked her head out. Shuttles were rounding the corners of the building they'd just come from, doors open and hard-faced soldiers preparing to leap out. A quick glance over her shoulder proved that more were coming up behind them. Vega pulled out his rifle and nodded as her eyes met his. She created a barrier around herself and out of the corner of her eye she could see Thane doing the same.

The shuttles landed and marines poured out, erecting portable shields as soon as they touched down. Shepard surveyed the situation grimly. The _Normandy_ was still nowhere in sight and they were outnumbered and surrounded; though the Alliance soldiers were wisely keeping their distance. The best she could do was stall until the _Normandy _showed up and maybe they could all get out of this with their asses intact.

"Stop! You are under arrest!" Peeking over the air terminal, she spotted the speaker; a woman in heavy armor, crouched behind a shield.

"I don't think any of us here are inclined to be put under arrest, Commander!"

"Surrender peacefully and you won't be harmed!"

She glanced at her team. This was a way out if they wanted to take it. Thane shook his head once, without hesitation, and Vega shrugged.

"We didn't do this so we could join you in prison, Commander," he said. "The _Normandy_ will get here."

Shepard grinned and peered back at the Alliance Commander. "I don't really see that happening!"

"We are authorized to use lethal force, Shepard! Don't make this end any worse than it has to!"

"That would be a mistake on your part, Commander!" she shouted back, eyes narrowing at the threat. "I don't want to hurt any of you but I will if you force me to!"

"You have a choice, Shepard! Lay down your weapons!"

There was a tense moment. Her time was up and there was still no ship and no way out of this. It wasn't worth dying for. She was about to stand, hands in the air, when there was a flash of gleaming metal and Shepard looked up. It was the _Normandy_.

As soon as the starship appeared, the stand-off abruptly ended. The Alliance soldiers began to fire and she ducked, slugs whizzing over her head from both directions. The Normandy had pulled up alongside the building, airlock open and waiting, but there was no way they could reach it without being shot full of holes. Vega laid down suppressing fire, reaching over his cover to avoid being hit.

And then complete chaos erupted.

There was the cracking boom of two flashbangs, one right after the other. Soldiers cried out and the gunfire stopped. Shepard looked up, ears ringing slightly even though the flashbangs hadn't been for them. _What the hell?_ A canister landed a few feet from her, clanking against the ground as it bounced. It popped quietly and heavy white smoke poured out. Two more were thrown, creating a veiled path to the _Normandy_. She blinked once, stunned, before bursting into motion.

"Go! Go! Go!" Shepard shouted, springing to her feet, and they bolted.

The Alliance soldiers were recovering slowly and seemed to realize that they were getting away. They fired their rifles but they were targeting blindly and most of the slugs missed them entirely. A lucky shot hit her in the thigh and she grunted, stumbling slightly. Most of the force was absorbed by her barrier and she was able to catch herself and keep going.

They reached the _Normandy _and leaped inside. The gap between the ship and the building was wide and Shepard almost missed, feet landing just on the edge. She staggered and Thane latched onto her arm, pulling her in. Shepard looked back toward the roof searchingly as the starship began to climb through the air. The smoke was already starting to clear, blown away by the wind, and the flicker of a tactical cloak caught her eye. Shaking her head, she laughed a little, flinching as several rounds pinged against the bulkhead. The airlock door hissed faintly and she gave the shadow a short wave before it clanked shut.

"Get us out of here, EDI," Shepard called out, knowing that she would hear her, "before the Alliance decides they'd rather have a dead _Normandy_ than no _Normandy_."

"Yes, Commander," EDI replied coolly and paused half a beat. "Welcome back."

That made her smile. "Thanks, EDI. It's good to be back."

Thane coughed wetly, the sound of his breathing raspy and seemed unnaturally loud. Head snapping toward him, Shepard's stomach lurched. His expression was as composed as ever but his throat was pale, the flexible ridges swollen with discomfort. Another cough and he seemed to shudder, closing his eyes briefly. She approached, brow creased with concern, but stopped when Thane gave a small shake of his head.

Joker's voice came in on the ship-wide comm. "Hey, Commander. Sorry for the wait. Had to throw some fighters off our tail. Hope you enjoyed your vacation."

"Not really, no," Shepard told him, reluctantly turning her attention away from Thane. "Court-martials during the threat of galactic annihilation tend to put a damper on the fun."

"Somehow, Commander, I think you manage that all on your own."

Laughing, Vega tugged off his helmet, his face bright from adrenaline and sweat. "I've done some crazy shit, Commander, but I get the feeling I got nothing on you."

Shepard forced an easy smile, eyes flickering back toward Thane. The spasms in his chest had lessened, his throat more relaxed, and the tension in her gut eased. He was alright. "If you think that was crazy, Vega, you're in for one hell of a ride."

* * *

Edit: Went back and changed a word that was bugging the hell out of me. Why, yes, I _am_ a perfectionist. How did you know?


	5. Chapter Four

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has subscribed, added this story (and me) to your favorites, and reviewed. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Disclaimer: Mass Effect is the property of EA/Bioware and so on and so forth.

EDIT: Added a little bit in the middle.

* * *

**Chapter Four: Three months, seven days, twenty hours Before the Fall of Earth**

"The smoke irritated your lungs- causing the inflammation, mucus build-up, and excess fluid- but your exposure was brief," Doctor Chakwas said, calmly setting aside her tools. "Any permanent damage should be prevented with your standard treatment."

"I see." Thane replied, seeing Jane relax almost imperceptibly at her words. She had tried to hide it, but he had long since learned to read when she was afraid.

It was as he'd expected. His illness had given him an intimate knowledge of his body's behavior and he had grown to recognize minor incidents from more serious ones. This episode had been short but more painful than the last. Indicative of the ever-advancing march of his disease.

Doctor Chakwas handed him an oxygen mask and he held it to his face gratefully, ignoring the flare of pain as he inhaled deeply. The tingling in his limbs began to lessen immediately though his chest still ached, the muscles resisting each breath. Jane took his hand as the doctor filled a syringe with medication, stroking his knuckles gently. It made his inner eyelids flicker and she smiled, amused. Her joy was like the sun and Thane felt warmth spread through him. Her true smile was rare and every new memory of it was a blessing. He would willingly endure her laughing at him if it meant seeing it again.

Taking his arm, Chakwas inserted the needle and the medication flooded into his veins, cold and strange. Jane was forced to release his hand to let her work and he felt the loss of her touch keenly.

"What are you giving him?" Jane asked curiously as Chakwas filled another syringe.

"An anti-inflammatory for the swelling and something to help his body drain the fluid." The second needle entered his arm. "Once those take effect, a therapy vest will be used to loosen the excess mucus."

Jane's nose wrinkled slightly in disgust before she could hide it. The expression sat oddly on her face but not unpleasantly. "How did you get all of this onto the _Normandy_? I wouldn't have thought they'd have let you near the _Normandy_ let alone start stocking the med-bay."

"With Joker working on the ship, I was allowed onto the _Normandy_ under the guise of treating his condition." Chakwas smirked. "People believe just about anything that's said by a doctor, Commander."

"You're rather more devious than I had imagined, Doctor," Thane said with a smile, briefly moving the oxygen mask to speak.

"All part of the job," she said briskly, though he could see that she was pleased. "You learn to employ more unconventional techniques after working with certain individuals."

Her eyes slid to Jane and he hummed a quiet laugh, blinking as his chest spasmed. The pain was brief and didn't kill his smile. Jane looked indignant but her lips were twitching and her dark eyes were dancing, betraying her.

"Just what are you saying, Doctor?" she asked, raising her eyebrow coolly.

Chakwas grinned, her medical gloves snapping as she pulled them off. "Nothing at all, Commander."

"I thought so."

Tossing him a wink, she finished storing her equipment. "The medication should take effect in a few minutes. I'll return then."

Thane nodded. It was kind of her to give them some time alone. "Thank you, Doctor."

He waited until Chakwas had left, the door closing behind her with a soft _whir_, before speaking. His voice quiet but he made no effort to hide the sincerity of his affection, the hum he made coming from deep in his chest.

"I have missed you, siha."

Recapturing his hand, she gave it a squeeze and looked at him. Her face was warm but there was a sadness there too and it made him ache.

"I've missed you, too," she murmured, like she was imparting a secret, though it was no less sincere for it.

They were silent for a moment, soaking in each other's presence. So often, they had sat in the same sort of silence that said so much without either of them speaking a word. Something in him that had been missing since his siha had left, returned as the quiet stretched on and he couldn't help the smile that crept onto his lips. He belonged here. He belonged with her.

"You look tired, siha," he told Jane as her jaw cracked with a yawn. "You should get some rest."

Her smile was shadowed slightly, eyes studying delicate scales that made up the skin on his fingertips. "I always look tired. It doesn't mean much."

A low thrum in his throat. "All the more reason to sleep."

She shrugged and looked vaguely annoyed as her hair dropped into her eyes. It caught the bright, clinical light, the wavy strands shining. Her hair had always fascinated him, alien as it was. It was black or red- dark enough that he couldn't tell-

_Hair brushes against his cheeks. The sensation both strange and wonderful. The feel of soft lips against his. She pulls away. Rests her forehead on his. He feels her smile._

"I'll sleep better once I know for sure you'll be alright."

Thane blinked and came back to the present, feeling unsettled. He hadn't intended to slip into his memories; a common sign of illness. He had been experiencing it more frequently over the past month but this was the first time when he hadn't been alone. He knew it wouldn't be the last.

"Doctor Chakwas is more than capable of providing my treatment, siha."

"Knowing that isn't the same as seeing it for myself."

Furrowing his brow, he looked at their intertwined hands. Kepral's was a cruel end; its symptoms painful and frightening. He had long since accepted the mild indignity of the process but that didn't mean he wanted her to see him that way, if she didn't already. Weakened. Ill. A burden. His siha would leave him behind if she thought it best and he was too selfish to let her.

"The treatment is…unpleasant," he said eventually, raising his eyes to meet hers. He had thought them unnerving at first, the black irises making them too familiar and yet somehow not familiar enough. Now, he knew them to be beautiful. "I'd prefer if you didn't see it, siha."

For a moment, her expression was shuttered, thoughts hidden behind thick lashes, as she studied him. Then she nodded, seemingly at ease, and released his hand as she stood. "Alright. I'll be in my cabin when you're done."

"Siha, wait." Thane gripped her arm gently as she turned away, a hum of distress in his throat. He hadn't meant to make her feel unwanted. "You misunderstood me. Please, I would like it if you stayed until then."

Jane hesitated, searching his eyes, and then relaxed. Sitting back down, she smiled. "Who said I was leaving?"

* * *

The _Normandy_ was different.

From what she'd seen so far, the Alliance hadn't changed it that much but it was still unnerving. Like coming home only to find that someone had broken in and rearranged your furniture. All of the pieces were still there- mostly- but they weren't where they belonged.

Stomach growling, Shepard waited as the elevator took her to her quarters. She thought longingly of the second energy bar she'd gotten from Chakwas but didn't get it out. She'd already eaten one and they had to ration what food there was, painful as it would be for her. The bits of technology that made up nearly every part of her required energy and got fussy when they didn't get it. Shepard wasn't looking forward to the foodless days ahead.

They'd taken back the Normandy but the ship had been in the middle of reconstruction which meant it came supply-less. No armor, no weapons, no food, almost no meds, and only what little fuel the Alliance hadn't used during their test runs. So until they managed to buy more, they had to sustain themselves on the handful of energy bars that Chakwas had thoughtfully stuffed into her pockets.

The elevator stopped and she stepped out and into her cabin. It was largely the same; big with a lot of useless crap she'd have thought the Alliance would have gotten rid of. Though if she was honest with herself, the more frivolous side of her was glad they had kept the fish tank. She had never put any fish in it- she had more than enough lives to worry about without adding pets to the list- but the sight of water had always been soothing to her. Something she knew Thane enjoyed as well.

Shepard frowned, thinking of him. It was more obvious that he was ill, now. In little ways that most people wouldn't notice, mostly, but they were there. Like the paleness of his throat, so slight that she hadn't realized it until the oxygen therapy had brightened it back up. The murkiness of his inner eyelids. The hitch in each breath he took.

It made her realize he was dying.

The thought was like a slap to the face and left her reeling.

Thane was dying.

Thane was _dying_.

_Thane_ was _dying_.

Digging her nails into her palms, she paced a few steps. Since the day she met him, she'd known that he was, but somehow it hadn't been real. But seeing him today, struggling to breathe and his whole body rigid with pain...It was real. It was _very_ real.

"EDI?" Shepard blurted out, her voice catching slightly. She swallowed, ignoring the tightness in her throat.

"Yes, Shepard?"

"Has Thane left the med-bay?"

"Yes. He is currently taking the elevator to your quarters. Would you like me to give him a message?"

"No." Joints protesting, she uncurled her fists and stared as her palms stung. The little half-moons left by her nails were leaking tiny drops of blood. The cuts were closing as she watched and she didn't think she imagined the sharp bite of hunger. "It's alright. Thanks, EDI."

There was silence but EDI's holographic orb remained, flickering. She glanced at it curiously. The AI seemed to be hovering, debating its next move. If it had been an organic, she would have thought it was feeling uncertain, but it was an AI. Shepard could never be sure what it was thinking.

"Was there something you wanted to say, EDI?" she prodded after a few moments, the silence starting to feel heavy.

"Sere Krios appears to be in better health since his treatment. It seems Doctor Chakwas was correct in her assessment that he would make a full recovery."

Crinkling her brow, she stared at the hologram in surprise. Its voice was as mild and cool as ever and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

"Were you…worried about him?" she asked. It didn't sound quite right but she didn't know why else the AI would mention it.

"No, but your behavior since boarding the _Normandy_ suggested _you_ were."When she didn't respond, EDI went on. "According to my calculations, it was significantly more likely that Sere Krios' illness was the cause of your distress. However, our repossession of the _Normandy_ was also a possibility. I was prepared to inform you that I believe our decision was the correct one, if that was the case."

Her eyebrows shot up toward her hairline. Shepard had never really known if AIs could feel emotions like organics could but there were times when she suspected they did, even though they would say they didn't. Like now. "Are you trying to be reassuring, EDI?"

"That is correct."

"I appreciate the thought, EDI," she sighed, shaking her head, "but I'm fine."

"My observations of you during your command indicate that when you say that you are 'fine', you are, in fact, lying," it said and she could have sworn under its cool tone was disapproval.

_Damned nosy AI._ Crossing her arms, she narrowed her eyes in irritation. "Let me rephrase, then. Your concern is noted but unnecessary."

"Shepard-"

The irritation became anger. "_Goodbye_, EDI."

There was a beat of silence long enough for her to feel a pang of guilt. "Logging you out, Commander."

EDI's orb winked out and Shepard sighed again_._ The anger fizzled out and she ran a tired hand through her hair. _Damn it._ She didn't know if she had upset EDI but she might have and that was enough. Strange as it was, the AI had only been trying to help even if she really rather it didn't.

The lock on her cabin door spun and it opened, distracting her. Thane was on the other side, pausing a moment before stepping in. He looked tired, the weary muscles in his face making the frills on his cheeks droop. His smile when he saw her was genuine, however.

"Hey," she said, her own smile small but bright. "How'd it go?"

"Well." His throat sounded raw, his voice even rougher and quieter than usual. "The doctor assured me there was no permanent damage."

"Good." A little part of her relaxed at the news. Chakwas had said as much before but it was good to have it confirmed. "Listen, I wanted to talk to you."

She stopped. It wasn't really the right time for this conversation- the day had been long and difficult and they were both tired- but there wouldn't ever really be a right time. If she waited, it would only make it harder to say. Thane waited patiently, clasping his hands behind his back. He looked calm and at ease but there was a slight tenseness to him that told her he wasn't.

"You're ill, Thane, and I don't think you should be on the _Normandy_."

The words came out abruptly and more forceful than she had intended. There was a cold silence. He blinked and his face became unreadable, and she knew she had fucked it up.

"Shit. I didn't mean that the way it sounded." She lifted a hand to her face briefly and scrambled for the words. This was not going the way she had planned. "I just- What happened today-"

Dropping his arms back to his sides, he approached her and took her hands, holding them between his own. "If you're worried for my health, siha, don't be. I'm in no more danger from my illness here than anywhere else."

She shook her head. "Yes, you are. I don't know what's going to happen but whatever it is, the _Normandy_ is going to be in the thick of it. You don't need to be there."

"It's not for you to decide where I need to be," he told her coolly, his eyes flashing.

"As the Commander of the _Normandy_, it is." She glared, pulling away to get into his space. "If you get hurt, you could _die_, Thane!"

Blinking rapidly, she looked to the side and the fire that had sparked suddenly died. She hadn't meant to say that but she had and it hung heavily between them. Shepard could feel his eyes searching her face but she didn't turn back until she felt his hand on her cheek, the flesh cooler than her own.

"I have few loved ones in my life, siha." His voice was gentle and he glanced down, his brow furrowed. "Let me protect them while I still can."

"It's not safe," she whispered and then almost laughed at the ridiculousness of that statement. Nothing was ever safe. Especially for people like them. Her nails were cutting into her palms again but she couldn't seem to make them relax.

He didn't respond, his silence speaking for him, and she shook her head again, knowing she had lost.

"It's late," she said, eventually.

Letting the subject drop, he hummed deep in his throat and tucked her hair behind her ear. "It is. I'll let you rest."

He began to turn and she reached out quickly, latching onto his elbow. "No, stay. Please."

Her cheeks were warm and realizing it only made her blush more. She felt awkward which was weird and ridiculous. She had never felt awkward around anyone, especially not him. Even during their first time when they had both fumbled at the strange newness of it all, it had been the most natural thing in the world.

Thane nodded and his smile was small and sweet and made her heart flutter.

"As you will, siha."


	6. Chapter Five

A/N: Hey, sorry for the wait everybody. Long story short, health issues are kicking my ass. Nothing serious but my writing pace (and quite possibly the quality of my writing) is suffering a little. I can't promise when I'll get the next chapter will out other than to say, as fast as I can. I'm still writing, so no worries, just a little slower than before. Thanks to all the awesome people that have reviewed and subscribed. You guys rock.

* * *

**Chapter Five: Three months, six days Before the Fall of Earth**

They left Earth behind, jumping from cluster to cluster until they were far from Alliance space. It took all of their fuel and they'd been forced to stop at a refueling station, EDI hacking into its systems to avoid paying for it. Shepard would have preferred to actually pay but it hadn't been an option and she wasn't going to dwell on it. They were in the Mulla Xul system now, idling behind an asteroid until she figured out what the hell they were going to do. It was a quiet part of space, most of what was there was more trouble than it was worth, and they would be safe for at least a little while.

Shepard stared at the terminal, her stomach clenching painfully with hunger, and tried to think. Her eyes flickered longingly to the empty energy bar wrapper on her desk before she wrenched them back toward her work. The list of supplies wasn't long, everything on it standard for a starship, but she may as well have needed to supply a thousand starships for all of her ability to get any of it. Food, weapons, armor, medical supplies; it all cost credits she didn't have and had no way of getting.

Sighing, she ran her hands through her hair, the strands snarling together miserably. She glanced at Thane through the glass of the display case, admiring the calm strength he was radiating. He was crouched in front of the fish tank, balancing on his toes as he meditated. Still and peaceful, he was either unaware of or ignoring her gaze. The lighting for that half of the room was dimmed, making the soft glare from the tank more visible. Thoughts wandering, Shepard watched the dance of bluish light that both illumined and shadowed his form. Shadow...

She blinked suddenly and turned back to the terminal, feeling like an idiot. The Alliance, the Council, Cerberus, the whole fucking _galaxy_ was after their ass but there was one person who was always one step ahead of all of them. And that person just happened to be a friend.

In moments, she'd created the vid-call, the display case darkening into a screen. She tapped her fingers as she waited for it to connect though it wasn't long before Liara appeared. She was typing hurriedly at her terminal, eyes darting across the multiple screens in front of her, and barely spared Shepard a glance.

"Shepard, you've called at an interesting time."

Raising an eyebrow, she straightened in her chair. "Nice to see you too. What do you mean by 'interesting'?"

"It seems Cerberus has finally decided to move against me. I am currently preparing to abandon ship," Liara said and briefly disappeared from view.

"And here I was hoping for good news," Shepard said wryly before becoming serious. "How did they even find you?"

"Cerberus and I have been playing games for months and the previous Shadow Broker even longer. When Cerberus gave you the information to help track him down, it was clear that they were close." Liara's face turned to stone. "In my haste to find Feron, I wasn't as careful covering my tracks as I should have been and now I am paying for it."

"We'll bring in the _Normandy_," she said, tapping her nails against the desk. "We might be able to get you out of there before Cerberus shows up."

"I appreciate it, Shepard, but it isn't necessary." A smile managed to work its way past Liara's hard expression but she didn't look up from her work. "I'll contact you once we are out of the system. It's likely our conversation is being monitored." She glanced to the side. "You'll have to excuse me, Shepard. It seems the Cerberus cruiser is here."

"A _cruiser_." Shepard frowned and leaned forward. "You'll get turned into fucking scrap metal if you try to go up against that."

"It's certainly a possibility."

"You're not exactly filling me with confidence here."

"I'm not the young maiden that needed you to rescue her from the geth, anymore, Shepard," Liara said, a hint of frost creeping into her words. "I have the situation under control."

Feeling wrong-footed, Shepard leaned back slightly and searched her face. "That's not what I meant."

"I know." Liara glanced away, the area around her bright blue eyes still tense. "I will contact you soon."

She ended the vid-call, the screen abruptly turning black. Shepard stared at it for a few moments, feeling painfully helpless. If the _Normandy_ wasn't systems away, she would have gone in, guns blazing, regardless of whether Liara wanted her to or not. As it was, though, it would take hours for them to reach her and by then the fight would be long over. She didn't like it but there wasn't anything she could do. She would just have to wait and hope Liara knew what she was doing.

* * *

Shepard watched behind a kinetic barrier as the shuttle bay door slowly opened. Vega was beside her, bouncing on his heels restlessly as they waited. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He was still in his undersuit- presumably for lack of anything else-, the top half pushed down to reveal a close-fitting shirt that already looked like it hadn't been washed in days. Not surprising considering he'd been using the hold as a training room since coming on board. It was another reminder that she needed to get those supplies before they all started smelling like zoo animals.

"So Vega," she said, crossing her arms casually as Liara's ship began to ease into the _Normandy._ "We haven't had a chance to talk since coming onboard. How're you holding up?"

Shrugging, he shifted his weight to look at her. "Wondering when we'll get to the action, Commander."

Shepard snorted a laugh. "It's barely been a day, Vega."

"Yeah," he shrugged again, "I'm just not used to having nothing to do, you know?"

"We're about to go head-on against the Reapers. We'll all have plenty to do soon enough," she assured him, her mouth thinning grimly.

He nodded, his brows knotting together, and crossed his arms. Liara's ship had touched down- larger than a shuttle but still fitting comfortably inside the _Normandy_- and the shuttle bay door started to close. She quietly watched the disappearing view of the stars for a moment, letting the silence get comfortable, before speaking again.

"I've been meaning to ask you something, Lieutenant." She turned and pinned him with her gaze.

The sudden shift in tone surprised him and he tensed, eyeing her warily. "Commander?"

"Why are you here?"

"I'm not sure I understand the question, ma'am," he said, a defiant tilt to his chin.

"Right." Shepard raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Let me spell it out for you, then. You've given up your life to free a convicted mass murderer to fight an enemy most of the galaxy doesn't believe in on the word of a group of people you barely know. Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical."

"You stopped the Collectors while the rest of us couldn't find our asses with both hands." The muscles in his arms were flexed from clenched fists and his words stiff. "If you say giant machines are about to bring the apocalypse down on our head, then that's good enough for me."

It wasn't much of an answer but she had a guess of where this was heading. "Have some personal experience with Collectors, Vega?"

"Yeah," he looked away, his jaw tight, "I got some while they were killing my squad and the entire colony we were stationed on."

An alarm blared a droning note, the shuttle bay safe once again, and the barrier disappeared. Shepard ignored it for the moment, searching the shadows in Vega's face.

"Shepard!"

Glancing over, she saw both Feron and Liara- all limbs intact- leaping lightly out of the ship before turning back. "We'll finish this conversation later."

"I'll pass on the heart to heart if it's all the same to you, Commander."

Liara was walking toward them, her expression warm- though most of it hidden behind those hard lines that she still wasn't used to seeing- and Feron's eyes on her the whole time.

"We'll see, Lieutenant," Shepard said, dropping it as Liara reached them.

"Shepard," she repeated, a sweet smile on her lips. That at least hadn't changed and hopefully never would. "It is good to see you."

"Glad you're in one piece, Liara. Everything alright?"

"Yes. Cerberus gave us some trouble though not as much as they'd hoped," she said and her smile gained a hint of viciousness. "Sending my ship crashing into theirs' undoubtedly disrupted their plans."

Shepard barked out a short, startled laugh. "I can't say that that's what I was expecting when you said you had it under control."

"The Illusive Man wasn't either. I imagine his spectacular loss was an unpleasant surprise."

Smirking, she cocked her head. "I bet. The cost wasn't too high, I hope."

"It was nothing we hadn't been prepared to lose. We managed to save what was important except, perhaps, the historical value of the ship itself," Liara told her mildly. "If you have a spare moment, I need to speak with you about a few things."

She nodded, flicking her eyes to look beyond Liara and to Feron. He was unloading various equipment from the ship; none of it particularly sensitive but most of it heavy-looking.

"Vega." He blinked at her and she jerked her head in the drell's direction. "Feron needs help unpacking and you've just been volunteered."

"Not what I meant when I said I wanted something to do, Commander."

"Beggars can't be choosers, Lieutenant. And who knows," her lips twitched with the effort of holding back her grin, "you just might enjoy yourself. Something tells me you like lifting things."

"Only for you, Commander."

"I'm going to assume you didn't mean that as pervy as it sounded and not kick your ass two ways to Earth. You better get moving, soldier, before I change my mind."

"Aye, aye."

His crisp salute had more than a little sass and he grinned when she gave him a stern look that she didn't really mean. Waiting until he had walked away, she turned to Liara who spoke first.

"It is good to see that our faith in the Lieutenant was not a mistake. It was a significant risk to inform him of our plan to release you from prison after he approached us."

Frowning thoughtfully, Shepard crossed her arms. "I didn't know you had anything to do with that. Or that he came to you guys first."

"He did and with a plan to, as he put it, 'bust you out'. Though it involved rather more shooting than the rest of us were comfortable with."

She snorted and shook her head. "Yeah, sounds like Vega, alright."

"And Shepard," a bit of the old Liara shone through then, her face softening with shyness. "You are my dearest friend. I would never abandon you."

Not knowing quite what to say, she went quiet and she reached out to grip Liara's armored shoulder. She squeezed it gently, though she doubted the asari could feel it, before letting her hand drop.

"So," her throat was a little tight and she cleared it, still feeling warmly embarrassed, "what was it you wanted to talk about. It better be something suitably dire and galaxy threatening."

Liara looked fondly amused before her expression darkened with seriousness. "Yes, I think 'galaxy threatening' would be an accurate term but I am afraid it requires a bit of an explanation first."

Lips thinning, she crossed her arms loosely and felt something in her core harden grimly even as her heart beat with fire. She'd been trapped in the dark, waiting for the axe to drop and unable to do anything about it for too long. But now she was free and she was ready to take the fight to the Reapers, to Cerberus, and to anyone else that wanted to take a shot at her and hers. Destroying Sovereign and blowing the Collector sky-high had only been the beginning.

_And fuck anyone that tries to get in my way._


	7. Chapter Six

**A/N: **First off, dear readers, so sorry for the wait. I hadn't intended for this chapter to take so long but that's just the way it goes sometimes. Life, eh? What a kick in the quad...

* * *

**Chapter Six: Three months, five days Before the Fall of Earth**

Shepard walked into the hallway that led to the conference room and paused. The others were already there, gathered around the conference table together but looking very separate at the same time. Vega was leaning against it, arms crossed and shifting impatiently. Across from him was Liara, her voice soft and hands making small, restless movements as she spoke to EDI. Over the comm., she heard Joker interrupt, his voice laden with sarcasm. Only Thane was completely still and quiet, his hands clasped behind his back and head bowed. She watched them with a slight frown, feeling the empty spaces. Spaces that belonged to the other members of her team.

That belonged to her family.

Garrus, Tali, Mordin, Kasumi, Grunt, Samara and the unlikely ones like Legion, Jack, Miranda, Jacob and even that fucking bastard Zaeed. They had been her crew, her friends, her family and their absence felt like a gaping hole in the room. After the Collectors, she had hoped some of them would stay but the destruction of the Bahak system had changed all that. Now, her team was scattered across the reaches of the galaxy and the void was heavy around her shoulders.

Her skin prickled with the feeling of being watched and she looked up, meeting Thane's searching eyes. She stared at him, a sense of realization coming over her. He raised a questioning eyebrow but she only smiled and glanced away. Some were gone but others were here and she had been an idiot to have been feeling alone.

"Alright everyone," Shepard called out as she walked over to her team. They came to attention immediately, Liara nodding and Vega giving her a crisp salute. Leaning her palms against the table, she paused to gather her words then tapped her fingers decisively.

"Here's where we're at. We've learned that the Alliance has unearthed a Prothean device of some sort. We don't know what it is but Cerberus wants it which means we don't want them to have it. They've infiltrated the science team studying it and, according to our sources, are planning to steal it." She scanned the faces gathered around her, "we're going to take it before they have a chance to."

No one spoke for a moment, seeming to mull this over. It was a bold plan, to be sure, but not their craziest and the silence was thoughtful rather than surprised. Only Vega seemed to feel doubt, shifting his feet uncomfortably and recrossing his arms.

"Not so sure it's a good idea to piss off the Alliance any more than we already have, Commander."

"It's a little late to be worrying about getting on the Alliance's bad side, Vega," she told him dryly.

"I'm not." He huffed slightly and shrugged a massive shoulder. "Just sayin' it might not be worth it when we don't even know what we're going after. We're going to need their help if we're going to take on the Reapers."

"Fair enough," she nodded and pushed off the table, "but we're on the Alliance's shit-list, regardless. I don't think it's a stretch to say that Cerberus is almost as big of a threat as the Reapers and anything they want, can only mean bad news for the rest of us. And you're right. This artifact could be anything but the Illusive Man wouldn't be wasting his time with it if it wasn't worth something."

"How did we learn of this?" Thane asked thoughtfully.

With a nod from Shepard, Liara stepped forward. "The Alliance has been keeping the discovery of the ruins quiet but it is difficult to make something so monumental disappear entirely. It wasn't long after that my agent inside Cerberus informed me of the Illusive Man's interest."

"And we know nothing of what exactly this object is." A discontented rumble from Thane's throat and his eyebrows drew together.

"No. My agent was unable to discover that before Cerberus killed him."

Shepard frowned. Liara hadn't said that her spy had been found out and subsequently murdered for it. She wondered what that said about her old friend.

"You didn't mention that," she said, loosely crossing her arms. "Do you think they're aware we know about what they're up to?"

"I don't believe so. I had suspected they knew of my agent for some time but only acted on that knowledge recently. Presumably, in retaliation for the death of their own informant."

This was starting to give her a headache and she was beginning to realize that Liara hadn't told her quite as much about the situation as she should have. There were plenty of benefits to Liara being the Shadow Broker but her newfound cageyness really wasn't one of them.

"If Cerberus knew about him, then they could have been feeding him false information. How do we know any of this is accurate?"

Liara lifted her chin slightly and her voice had a hint of cold steel. "It is. I know what I am doing, Shepard."

"Never said you didn't," she told her, keeping her tone and expression neutral. There was a hard set to Liara's mouth and Shepard moved on without another word. "What was this about a Cerberus spy?"

"She was another piece in the game Cerberus and I are playing and largely irrelevant. Her mission had been to hack into the ship's systems so that the Illusive Man could gain access and control. Likely so they could stop me from destroying information when they attempted to seize the ship."

"And she had nothing to say about any of this, I imagine."

"She might have but I don't know." Liara shrugged slightly. "I was forced to kill her before I had a chance to interrogate her."

"Alright then," Sighing, Shepard rapped her knuckles on the table. "Back to the mission. There aren't any plans for the research facility so EDI will have to do a scan before we drop and see what she can tell us. Liara, Thane, and I are going in-"

"Whoa, hold up." Vega straightened with a frown, ignoring the look she sent him. "You're leaving me behind?"

"No offense, Vega," she said, tone dry, "but this is an infiltration run and you're about as subtle as a warp to the face."

"Come on, Commander. I can handle it."

Shepard shook her head. "You're just going to have to cool your heels until something more your style comes along."

"Commander-"

Her voice turned frosty as she crossed her arms with a stony expression. "I said 'no', Lieutenant."

Scowling, Vega held her stare defiantly for an instant before backing down, turning his gaze to his feet. Shepard allowed the silence to linger for another moment then let the tension dissolve.

"We're going in quiet. Disabling any security we come across. Any guards we either avoid or disable. I don't want anyone to know we've even been there until we're long gone. We'll be able to form a more complete plan once we reach the site and get some more information about what we're getting into. Any other questions?"

"Where we headed to, Commander?" Joker asked over the comm.

Shepard didn't let out the small grimace that wanted to make its way to her face. "Eden Prime."

"Shit. Really? Anyone else getting a bad omen here? No? Just me?"

"There's no such thing as bad omens, Joker," she drawled even as a tense wrinkle formed around her mouth.

If she was honest with herself, it had given her an uneasy feeling when she first heard where the facility was. Eden Prime was where it had all begun and there were even some similarities in the missions that had sent them there. The feeling had died once her rational brain had kicked in but it made her pause to know that Joker had felt it too.

"Yeah, you say that now but we'll see who's saying 'I told you so' when the shit hits the fan."

* * *

They reached Eden Prime within hours, coming in quiet and the stealth systems engaged to avoid attention. Shepard watched from the bridge as they approached the planet, dressed in gunmetal gray armor and a heavy pistol at her hip. Both were Liara's, spares that she was borrowing until she managed to get her hands on something else. The armor didn't fit- too tight in some areas, too loose in others, and it sat on her shoulders in a way that was slowly driving her mad- but the gun was nice and the armor would stop the bullets. Better than civies would, at any rate.

Joker leaned back in his chair and glanced up at her, the leather that he loved so much squeaking as he moved. "We're in range for the drop, Commander."

Not looking away from the abyss outside her ship, Shepard nodded a little distantly. She'd seen a similar view a hundred times but it always struck her just the same. A glowing globe of a planet suspended in a great, glittering emptiness. Endless and beautiful.

"EDI, tell Thane and Liara to meet me in the shuttle bay." She tore her eyes away from the stars and looked down at her pilot. "I want you to find a dark corner to hide in as soon as we're clear. No reason to let everyone know we're crashing the party."

"You got it. But, you know, I think they just might figure it out when you bust down the front door and start shooting."

Grinning, she lightly slapped the back of his chair. "Have some faith, Joker. I know to always start shooting first."

"Ha ha," Joker said with a roll of his eyes. "Have fun, Commander. Try not to cause too many explosions."

Shepard turned away, eyes glinting mischievously. "Wouldn't dream of it."

He scoffed but she only laughed and walked off, heading for the elevator and Deck 5. The elevator moved at its usual crawl but soon enough she was stepping out into the shuttle bay. Neither Thane or Liara were there yet but Vega was, doing sit-ups a little more intensely than he usually did. It was clear that he was still sullen about being left behind but he'd get over it. Though, she doubted the sore ass he was going to get from exercising on the ridged metal floor was going to help with that.

She gave him a nod and made her way over to Liara's ship. "Vega."

Sweat trickling down his brow, he grunted something that sounded vaguely like a greeting but didn't pause in his workout. She let him be and looked over the ship that would carry them to Eden Prime. It was bigger than a standard shuttle but not by much with only two small guns mounted on the front. _Probably a civilian craft_. A glance inside, past the tiny airlock, showed that it had been gutted; all that was left were a few metal platforms welded to the ship itself.

Wanting to check out the systems, Shepard climbed into the cockpit and maneuvered herself into the pilot's seat. A few moments and she had the ship powered up, the interface flickering to life with a vivid orange glow. She examined the systems thoughtfully. It was a solid ship; strong shields and a little more punch in the engines than she'd expected. She wasn't much of a pilot but the controls seemed simple enough and she could probably pull off a few tricky moves if things went south. _Not if. When._

"Siha?"

She twisted in her seat with a smile, craning her neck to see Thane just inside the ship. "Hey. Just checking out our ride. Liara with you?"

"She is not. I believe she's still in her quarters concluding," he angled his head and hummed, "business."

Sighing, she got up and walked to the airlock, Thane stepping smoothly out of her way. "She can conclude her business on her own time." Shepard stuck her head out the door. "EDI, kindly tell Liara to hurry her ass up. We've got a schedule to keep here."

"Yes, Commander," EDI replied promptly, cool voice echoing through the bay. "Though I will assume you don't wish for me to use those exact words."

"Use whatever words you like, EDI," she said, smirking slightly, "as long as they get her here."

"Yes, Commander."

She gave a small shake of her head and turned back to Thane, moving to stand near him. "Once Liara's here, we'll set our course and go over our approach. EDI should have all the intel she's going to get by then."

Nodding, he took hold of her hand with both of his. "I have something for you, siha. I believe you'll need it for the mission."

He let go, leaving a small, thin chip in her palm. Shepard picked it up and rolled the omni-tool chip between her fingers, smiling.

"Thanks. I was going to ask about it earlier but well," she shrugged a little sheepishly, "I forgot about it instead."

That was strange of her, to forget about something so important. Thane was right in that she needed her omni-tool for the mission but it had more than tactical value. There were a lot of precious memories stored on that tiny chip. Little snapshots of the important things in her life. Of her crew. Of her ship. Mostly though, they were of Thane. Holos she had sneaked throughout their time together. Some were of the both of them, others of him alone, but it was the ones he hadn't known she'd taken at all that were the ones she cherished the most.

"Thank you," Shepard looked at him through her lashes as she inserted the chip into her armor, "for holding on to it."

He nodded once, a smile resting on his lips. "It was a small thing, siha, and I did it gladly."

* * *

Night had fallen over the research base when they broke atmo on Eden Prime. Staying low and quiet, Shepard guided the ship to a landing zone a few clicks away from the site and behind a small hill. She killed the engines as her team clamored out and she quickly followed, glancing around to get her bearings. The area they were in was rocky, hilly, and covered in dark green grass that swayed in the chill wind. Everything seemed to shine eerily under the planet's bright white moon. In their darker gear, Thane and her were relatively hidden despite this but Liara's white armor practically glowed in the light.

Gesturing to her team, she began to climb the rise, the others a short distance behind. She crawled her way to the top and kept prone as she examined the facility. It was located in a small valley beneath their position, nestled between a cluster of hills. On the opposite side, Shepard could just make out the thin glimmer of water.

The complex was large but hastily erected; nothing more than a bunch of windowless prefab buildings pushed together. It was built in a circle around the dig site, a hard dome hiding the excavation from sight. A gleaming metal fence protected the base but otherwise it was completely nondescript, looking more like an industrial factory than a secret research base. Something about that bothered her. Her eyes were eagle sharp as she scanned the base again. Except for the lights that flooded the outside of the facility, it seemed lifeless, the only movement the slow swing of security cameras. It was then she realized what was wrong.

"There aren't any guards," she murmured.

Lying at her side, Thane peered through the scope of his rifle. "I can see no bodies either."

Prickles of unease danced across her skin. "Why do you think that is?"

"Considering what happened with the Prothean beacon," Liara spoke softly from Shepard's other side, "perhaps they simply want to avoid drawing attention."

"That," she said, her voice grim, "or things just got a hell of a lot harder."

"That is also a possibility," Liara admitted.

Frowning in thought, she watched the base for another moment then began her careful slide down the hill with her team just behind. They covered the distance to the base at a decent pace, using the uneven terrain to stay out of sight. The rough footing made it difficult but they reached their target in good time, dropping to the ground when they got close. They were near the entrance; a pair of solid metal gates flanked by two security cameras. The floodlights in the background made them difficult to spot except for the glinting of lenses as they swung in sweeping arcs, keeping watch over the area.

"Liara," Shepard whispered, feeling her nerves prickle in anticipation. "Ready?"

Liara nodded, eyes tracking the slow movement of the cameras. "Yes, Shepard."

She waited a beat for just the right moment then made the call.

"Now."

As one, the two of them summoned their biotics and locked the cameras into stasis, forcing them to face away from the entrance. They targeted precisely, avoiding covering the lenses and keeping the light radiation to a minimum. It was difficult to be so finely controlled and Shepard began to feel the strain almost immediately. She breathed steadily, using the rhythm to keep herself grounded.

She felt more than saw Thane leap lightly to his feet and begin his dash for the gates. A drop of sweat rolled down the back of her neck. The acrid smell of their biotics hung low around them, stinging her nose. He reached the entrance, a dark shadow against the metal, then flared bright and took control over one of the cameras.

She let her biotics die and pushed herself up, darting after him. At the gates, she secured the other camera while Liara ran towards them, activating her omni-tool as she went. She worked quickly to hack into the facility's systems, her face lined with concentration. Shepard waited stiffly, a familiar burn starting in her nerves like a wave down her body. On Liara's other side, she could see Thane, appearing at ease though concentrating deeply. She felt a flash of admiration for the careful restraint he had over his biotics, something she often struggled with.

"Liara," she prodded as the minutes stretched on.

"I'm sorry, Shepard," Liara shook her head, keeping her eyes on her omni-tool, "but their security is complicated. The program needs more time to crack it."

Shepard felt the loss of her tech experts keenly at that moment, knowing they would have been able to hack into the system as easily as they breathed. She shook the thought quickly away, her mind shifting gears. They were prepared for this and she knew they could manage without her tech team.

They would just be a lot less elegant about it.

"Time we don't have. Kill the program," she said, glancing over Liara's shoulder as her omni-tool flickered out of existence. "Thane?"

He nodded once, his expression a picture of control. "I can but you must hurry."

There was a faint surge of Thane's biotics around her and she released the camera, taking a deep breath as the strain eased. She moved to stand beside Liara and together they blanketed the gate in a rippling blue field. Steadily, they forced the gate to slide open in a clamor of protesting machinery. The show of power was almost laughably easy in comparison to earlier and they had it open quickly. She had been worried that the noise would draw attention but they were still alone, the night strangely quiet.

Shepard increased the pressure on the gate as Liara released it then nodded for her to go. She held it open while Liara ran through, the heavy metal straining against her. Thane darted by and she knew she had only moments until the cameras swung her way. Taking a deep breath, she lunged inside, losing her grip on the gate along the way. It slammed shut instantly with a ringing bang, almost clipping her as it went.

They didn't waste time lingering, heading for the entrance to the facility as soon as her feet were planted on the ground. Besides the three of them, the area was still empty and they made their way unhindered. At the door to the base, Liara began to tackle the security system while she and Thane stood guard with weapons in hand. Knowing they had no choice at this point, Shepard had been prepared for a long wait but almost immediately the door slid open with a soft _whoosh_. Reflexively, she raised her pistol but it was clear. She looked at Liara questioningly who frowned back, unsettled.

"There was a sudden, critical security shut down," she explained. "I can't say what caused it but I think it's safe to assume it wasn't accidental."

_Well, shit_. Furrowing her brow, Shepard peered warily into the building. The room beyond appeared to be a security checkpoint, a dead barrier generator dividing it in half. There were several guard stations as well, but they were vacant with no trace of their occupants.

"Stay on your toes, people." She stepped over the threshold, her team falling in behind her. "Looks like we've just walked into trouble."

"Perhaps it's Cerberus," Thane suggested, his rough voice low. His tone took on a bit of humor. "You do seem to attract that sort of misfortune, Jane."

She snorted. "If we're going by that rule, then there's probably a Reaper in here somewhere."

"Goddess, I hope not," Liara said.

"So do I," Shepard muttered, serious once more.

They fell silent and made their way further into the room. There were two unmarked exits past the defunct barrier and she chose one at random. EDI's scans gave them the general layout of the base- a series of rooms connected by one long hallway- but they were otherwise in the dark. They had no way of knowing where the artifact was stored and would be forced to search every corner of the facility. That had worried her originally- there was no way they could have managed that without being caught- but she doubted it would be an issue now. The base seemed deserted; every room they passed by, empty, and every security measure inactive. There were still scattered signs of life- barracks with unmade beds, terminals glowing with energy, mugs still half full of coffee- proving that it hadn't been abandoned for long.

They paused at a few of the terminals, hoping to learn more about what they were after, but every file was too heavily encrypted to easily crack. Giving up, Shepard began rooting through the desks instead, eventually finding what she was looking for. It was a datapad, neatly tucked away in a drawer. Written by one of the science team, it mostly detailed mundane aspects of the man's life but hidden among them, was a nugget of information. In an entry dated a few weeks ago, he very briefly describes the excavation.

"He doesn't say what they found," Shepard said, passing the datapad over to the others, "but whatever it is, he was awfully excited about it."

"Of course he was," Liara replied as she read. "It appears the artifact is intact. That's practically unheard of!"

"He mentions speaking with it." Thane handed the datapad back. "Perhaps it is a VI?"

"Makes sense," she agreed, brow crinkled in thought. "Though it doesn't explain why Cerberus would be interested."

"I don't see why not. The Protheans may not have built the mass relays," Liara explained, her voice edged with excitement, "but their technology was still generations ahead of ours. Just imagine what we can learn!"

Shepard placed the datapad on the desk. "Nothing if we don't get it before Cerberus does. Come on."

Leaving the office, they continued down the hallway. They came across no one or any hint of what may have happened to the people that were once a part of the base. It wasn't until they entered the mess hall that they learned why.

It was a grisly scene. Bodies were gathered along the back wall in one large pool of blood. Most lay where they had fallen but a handful had been dragged over, thick trails of red marking their path. It looked to be mostly scientists but she could see some Alliance soldiers piled among them. Shepard walked over and got close to examine the remains, the other two fanning out to do the same. Except for a noteworthy few, they each appeared to have been shot several times, leaving their torsos nothing more than bloody ruins. The ones that hadn't died by bullet had their skulls crushed, their faces entirely unrecognizable because of it. She glanced around and spotted the wall that had served as the bludgeon, its grayish-white surface painted with blood, flesh, and bone.

"Shepard."

She stood and went to where Liara was on the ground next to the body of a soldier, medi-gel in hand. Blood leaked heavily from the woman's wounds, her civies completely soaked with it, and she was breathing rapidly from pain. She was still aware enough to track them with her eyes as Liara began to apply the medi-gel but her vitals were weak. It was a surprise that she had survived the initial assault and judging by the state of her, Shepard doubted she had much longer.

"Who did this to you, soldier?" she asked lowly, crouching down to speak with her.

"The…others," the woman's voice was weak and thick and she had to lean close to hear, "and some-."

The soldier gasped out a groan and her whole body shuddered, her eyes closing tightly as tears fell. Shepard gave her a few moments, reaching out to lightly grasp her hand. The woman latched on, her fingers straining to grip. Behind her, she could hear Thane start a quiet, lilting prayer and knew it was for forgiveness.

"Go on."

"And some...of the scientists. I don't- I don't underst-stand."

"Okay," she cut her off, squeezing the soldier's hand. "Don't worry about that right now. I need you to tell me what they were studying here."

Liara finished applying the medi-gel and began to put on her gauntlets, her blue hands stained red. The medi-gel had stopped the bleeding and numbed the pain but wasn't enough. The woman was ghostly pale, her heart beating too fast even as her blood pressure plummeted.

"They didn't-," her throat struggled to push the words out, her whole body trembling wildly. "It was…it was Pr-Prothean."

"Do you know where it is?"

"In…one of th-the labs. Down the…hall, past-t the infir-firmary."

"Thank you," Shepard told her and met the soldier's wide-eyed gaze, willing courage into her. "You saved a lot of lives today."

"I...don't want t-to die..."

It was less than a whisper but Shepard heard. She gave the woman's hand another squeeze, her throat tight even as she felt the weight of the clock around her neck.

"You aren't going to die," she promised, her tone low and soothing, "but it's time to rest."

"I can't..."

"Yes, you can. You're safe now and you've earned your rest." She went on, making her voice steady as a drum. "Your eyes feel heavy, don't they? So heavy you hardly know how you've kept them open so long. It would be so much easier to just relax, wouldn't it? Just relax and sleep."

She fell silent, watching as the soldier's life slowly drifted away. Blinking sluggishly, her eyes slid to stare toward the ceiling, seeing only what the dying could. She would see the lights, the colors of the world all blending together until they all became a part of the whole. She would see darkness, flashes of it, that she bled into until she didn't know where it ended and she began. And finally, time would stand still and she would see nothing at all.

* * *

For a second, Shepard didn't move. The dead woman's eyes were open but she didn't close them, gazing into the emptiness beyond. She let go of her hand and stood, her face hard and blank. Her team was quiet as she rejoined them, her jaw clenched to the point of pain. Thane was looking at her, his eyes endless pools of black, but she didn't meet his gaze.

"Cerberus has a head start so we need to move fast." She unclipped her pistol from her hip. "Let's go."

Moving at a jog, they left the mess hall behind, meeting no resistance as they moved through the halls. They passed the infirmary and slowed as they approached the labs. If Cerberus was still here, this was where they'd be. Cautiously, they explored the first of the rooms, finding plenty of equipment but no people and no hint of the device. They moved on until they reached a door that separated them from the rest of the labs.

The door was metal but not very thick and only muffled the commotion going on, on the other side. She heard a dull crash and the furious rat-a-tat of gunfire. It ended quickly, leaving only silence in its wake. Mouth set, Shepard placed her back to the wall beside the door and waited for her team to do the same. She glanced at Thane then Liara, receiving firm nods in return. Adjusting her grip on her pistol, she punched open the door and peered inside, staring at the scene in surprise. _You've got to be fucking kidding me._

"Goddess…" Liara breathed, her eyes as round as little blue moons.

The room beyond was large with the inner wall left open to the dig site. A small army of Cerberus agents occupied the area; all but one crouched behind portable shields. Among the maze, a dead soldier was sprawled out on the floor, his neck twisted gruesomely. The lone operative was a dark haired woman dressed in a long white scientist's jacket. She looked unconcerned, her gloved hands hanging loosely at her sides and her expression entirely still, even as she faced off against someone that should be long dead.

"It is in your interest to cooperate," the operative said evenly, the words like silk. "It is not within my order parameters to harm you unless you provide resistance."

A few feet across from her, an alien in unusual armor stood behind a shimmering barrier. It distorted the view of the alien's face but Shepard could see that it was unlike anything she had seen before. The Alliance hadn't unearthed a Prothean artifact. They'd unearthed an actual Prothean.

The Prothean seemed to bare his teeth. When he spoke, his voice was deep and coated with disdain. "Save your words, machine. They ring hollow in my ears."

Her gaze was unwavering. "I am to bring you in. Your form being alive when I do is optional."

Shepard surveyed the battle field once more then turned to her team, silently giving them her orders. They nodded and shifted their stances, muscles tensing for the fight and barriers flickering over their skin. She began the countdown, ticking off the seconds with her hands. At zero, she charged through the door, the others at her heels. She targeted the closest enemy first, flinging him into the dark-haired woman with a brilliant burst of blue. The living missile hit dead-on, sending her crashing to the floor.

For a moment, the Cerberus agents failed to react, even as Shepard and her team began to pick them off in a hail of bullets. Then, like a flipped switch, they all seemed to retaliate at once and the room became a storm. The dazzling flash of biotics was the lightning and the roar of gunfire its thunder. Her and her team moved through it like birds, flying past the panicked shot of their enemies. Thane, in particular, was like a creature of the air. He twisted and leaped effortlessly, always a breath ahead of death. His opponents fired wildly after him until he ended their lives in a spray of blood and blaze of energy.

Through it all, Shepard could see the Prothean joining in on the fight. Snarling viciously, he launched a pair of Cerberus operatives into the air. They hung there like puppets until they were slammed brutally into the ground. To his left, the dark-haired Cerberus agent was back on her feet and headed his way. Curiously, she seemed oblivious to the battle that raged around her. As Shepard watched, several rounds struck the operative, tearing her clothes but doing nothing to what was underneath. She realized, in a flash of insight, what they were dealing with.

_Fuck._

Her heart pounding with adrenaline, she began to weave through the chaos toward the android. Rounds battered her barrier and shields. They began to fail and she was forced to duck behind an abandoned kinetic barrier, her armor's whining alarm ringing in her ears. Bright biotic energy danced over her body as she waited for her shields to recharge. She heard a guttural noise and looked down. A dying Cerberus operative was on the floor beside her, a bloody hole where his lung used to be. She shoved a new thermal clip into her pistol, placed it to his skull, and pulled the trigger. Her shields came back to life an instant later and she jumped to her feet, laying down suppressing fire as she ran.

The android was mere feet from the Prothean when Shepard was finally close enough to intercept it. Vaulting over a half-dead shield, she flung a warp at her target's head. It splashed boldly into its mark, rippling and tearing the fake skin and buckling the metal underneath. The machine responded to the new threat quickly but Shepard was ready for it. The visor over its eyes flickering erratically, it turned towards her and raised its pistol. At the same time, she reached out with her biotics. She latched onto the weapon and _pulled_. The machine's grip was as strong as a vice so she didn't bother trying to tear the pistol away. Instead, she sent its shots flying wide then began her biotic assault.

It eluded the gradually arcing attacks easily. Shepard switched to her pistol as it started to sprint towards her. In seconds, the android was on her and striking at her throat. She threw herself out of the way, eyes wide, and just managed to land on her feet. The onslaught was merciless and she was forced to spin circles around it, barely able to keep pace with its inhuman speed.

The fight wore on. She was pushing her body hard and her cybernetic implants were beginning to struggle to sustain it. Liquid fire burned through her veins. A second before it happened, she saw the future but there was nothing she could do to stop it. She faltered. The machine reached for her, fingers spread wide. Before it could do more than graze her flesh, it was enveloped in a rippling field of blue. Suddenly, it was sent sailing across the room and into one of its own men.

She glanced around and spotted Liara, her form a blaze of energy. She nodded in thanks, receiving a grim smile in return. Panting, Shepard found some cover and took a moment to appraise the battleground. Thane was still in the fight and raining hell on his enemies. Both he and Liara had retreated behind Cerberus' portable shields, their backs to the walls. Despite being outnumbered, they were controlling the field, keeping the hostiles on edge. The Cerberus agents were disorganized and most had clearly never fought in a situation like the one they'd found themselves in. Only the former Alliance soldiers were capable of holding their own and while it was a difficult struggle, they were beginning to gain ground.

On the other side of the fray, the android was standing again. She looked for the Prothean, spying him crouched behind a shield a few feet ahead in front of her. The brief rest had given her body time to recover and she flew over the ground. Sliding into position next to him, she fired a couple rounds over their cover then turned to the alien.

He was more unusual up close than she'd expected but also more familiar. She hadn't thought that the Collectors would have had much resemblance to their former selves- and really, they hadn't- but there was still a connection between them. In the shape of his head, his eyes, and even the sharp angles of his armor, she could see what the Protheans had been forced to become.

None of her thoughts showed on her face. She only blinked and casually said, "Time to go."

He faced her sharply and narrowed his eyes, his teeth just showing. "Who are you, human?"

Rounds slammed into their shield, making it waver dangerously. Shepard responded with a torrent of fire while the Prothean cut them down with his biotics. There were several pained cries and then a lull in the attack. She poked her head out of cover only to quickly duck back into it as slugs whizzed by. The android had spotted them.

"Your ticket out of here. Now, come on!"

It was all she had time to say before she was forced to move. She danced through the room, leaping over bodies and fighting like the devil the whole way. A glance proved the Prothean was following, a fierce scowl on his face. As they reached her team, she paused in her charge to provide them with cover fire.

"Let's go, people!" she shouted.

The doors on either side of the room had been locked at some point and the only way out was through the dig site. They made for it quickly, Liara leading the way as Shepard brought up the rear. The dig site was a giant hole in the ground with lit platforms drilled into its walls. Railed walkways spanned across it, giving them access to the opposite side. The remains of an ancient building stuck out of the earth like a broken skeleton, stretching for the arched ceiling.

They pounded along the walkways, metal clanging noisily beneath their feet, and Cerberus close on their heels. Heart hammering against her ribs, Shepard spun to face the enemy and unleashed a singularity in their path. The tiny black hole whirled and pulsed, drawing in the unwary.

And their bullets.

The shouts and screams of the operatives at her back, she sprinted after her team. They had reached the other side of the base, a single door between them and relative safety. Liara touched the lock and it opened just as the singularity vanished with a cracking boom behind them. They poured through the opening. The last one in, Shepard immediately activated her omni-tool and brutally overloaded the door's electronics. There was the groan of machinery then a loud bang as it slammed shut.

The sudden quiet was almost deafening and they took the moment to breathe, replacing thermal clips and tending to any small wounds they had received. They looked to be in a storage room, the space filled with large, metal cabinets. There were a few tables, as well; their tops covered with old Prothean tech that had yet to be archived.

Blinking sweat from her eyes, Shepard briefly consulted her schematics of the base then checked on the status of the others. Liara was dabbing medi-gel on a wide cut along her scalp, a small grimace on her face, even as she stared longingly at the artifacts. Unhurt, Thane was simply waiting, hands clasped behind his back. He was breathing steadily but his throat and cheeks were pale, making her frown. Catching her staring, he raised a brow ridge and she looked away.

Apart from them all, the Prothean stood and watched; his gaze as sharp as a knife.

The reprieve was short-lived. Cerberus was at the door and she could hear them trying to break through. Eventually, they'd figured out they couldn't and would swing around to the front of the facility, cutting off her team's exit. She was hoping to reach it before they did.

"Alright, everyone," she said, tapping her pistol against her armored leg. "We better move our asses before they get fried."

She started to head out of the room only to be brought up short.

"Stop, human."

Her skin prickling with tension, she faced the Prothean as he stepped into her path. "What is it?"

"The asari and drell may blindly follow your orders but I will not," he said, his alien voice a deep purr.

She glanced at the door as the noise on the other side abruptly cut off. "We don't really have time for this."

"Perhaps," his four yellow eyes gleamed as they focused on her, "but there is still time for me to kill you where you stand."

The atmosphere of the room immediately shifted, becoming as charged as a live wire. She fixed her full attention on the Prothean, fire licking at her belly. When she answered, her voice was cold and hard as stone and her own threat was clear.

"I'm not your enemy." _Yet_.

"Then tell me who you are and what you are doing here," he demanded harshly, his teeth bared in anger.

"My name is Shepard and at the moment, _I'm wasting my fucking time_," she snarled.

He was quiet for a moment, studying her. The angle of his head gave him a menacing look and she narrowed her eyes at him, watching his every movement carefully. Turning away in disgust, he let out a growl of frustration.

"Why are you here? What is the Avatar of a dead people to you?"

"Nothing. I came here to stop Cerberus and as far as I'm concerned," she leaned forward aggressively, "I've succeeded. Now, I'm getting my team out with their lives. Whether you leave with the same, is up to you."

Their discussion was over. She shoved past him and out of the room, picking up the pace as Thane and Liara fell into step behind her. They raced through the facility, ever aware of the phantom of Cerberus nipping at their heels. To her surprise, the Prothean was with them, his expression unreadable as he ran. In minutes, they were at the front of the complex and gathered on either side of the door that separated them from the entrance.

"Last stop, people," she said, looking at each of them.

Thane and Liara both nodded slightly but the Prothean only glared. She took that as an acknowledgement and smacked the glowing interface. It spun in place and the door opened with a soft _swoosh _into chaos.

On the other side of the threshold, the android had been waiting. Before Shepard could even register that it was there, it was attacking. It aimed for her heart, firing its gun point-blank. That close, the round punched through her barrier, her shields, and straight to her armor. The air rushed out of her and she stumbled. Before she could do anything but gasp for air, the machine disappeared in a burst of biotics. As she fell back into cover, feeling like she'd been rammed by a skycar, the Prothean stepped forward and into the room beyond, a blaze of vicious energy.

"Shepard?"

It was Liara, her eyes wide with concern, and Shepard straightened painfully. At some point, Thane had switched places with her and was sniping around the doorframe, the rifle supported by his arm. Sucking in a breath, she reapplied her barrier and waved her off.

"I'm...fine," she wheezed. "Go."

There was a brief hesitation but then Liara did as she was told, her pistol barking as she charged. Moving up to provide suppressing fire, she gestured for Thane to go. She covered him as he darted through the maelstrom, picking off any Cerberus agents fool enough to show their heads. He reached the halfway point and she stormed after him, instantly drawing heat.

The room was littered with bodies, though not all of them dead and there were plenty still firing. Bullets hammering her shields, she ran for the entrance. The door was open and she could see the night sky beyond it. Her barrier vanished. She was almost there.

Something slammed into her legs from behind, launching her just through the door. She landed face first into the dirt, her nose breaking with a crack and a flare of pain. There was a crash then the rapid pops of gunfire and the stranglehold around her legs weakened. Scrambling to her feet, she turned to look through the tears welling in her eyes. Liara had overloaded the door, catching the android's torso between its panels. At the same time, Thane had unloaded his thermal clip into it, punching a hole into its head. Unbelievably, it was still active and starting to pry open the door, its arms twisted into unnatural angles.

"Fucking hell," Shepard muttered, wiping blood off her lip. "This thing just doesn't quit."

"You are slow, human," The Prothean spoke up suddenly, his tone thick with disdain. "This is the second time we have waited for you."

She sent him a glare. "Shut up and run, Prothean."

* * *

They ran, heading out of the base and into the surrounding hills. Clouds had rolled in, darkening the night, and they lost their pursuers quickly. They slowed as they traveled over the rocky terrain, exhaustion and lack of light making it dangerous. Before they could reach the ship, a shuttle flew over, low enough for Shepard to make out the black and yellow painted onto its hull. They ducked behind a hill to avoid it and watched its progress toward the base.

Shepard blinked tiredly, a headache beginning to bloom. "Tell me there aren't any more of you in there."

"My name is Javik, human," he said it with a scowl and a soul heavy with bitter anger, "and I am the last."

"It's Shepard." Her voice was cool but she was too tired to be properly annoyed.

"So you have said."

"What I didn't say was that I and a handful of others are going to be the ones to defeat the Reapers. You know what the Reapers are, don't you Javik?" His face darkened further. "Yeah, I thought so."

"Make your point, human," he growled, four eyes narrowed.

"My point is," she said, fixing him with a hard gaze, "will you join us?"

He stared back, his expression empty, then looked away.

"...For now."


	8. Chapter Seven

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone that read, reviewed, and added this story to their favorites and alerts. A special shout-out to err, 'Guest' who reviewed so many times and said such nice things =).

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Three months, four days, seventeen hours Before the Fall of Earth**

The ship was where they had left it and they quickly piled inside. Shepard sunk into the pilot's seat and powered it up, the others holding onto whatever was available as they lifted off. As they climbed through the sky, she could see Cerberus was still at the base, slipping through it like a virus. They were moving between their shuttle and the base, their forms silhouetted by the floodlights.

"Javik," she called out, unease crawling along her spine. "What else were they studying at the base?"

"I do not know, human. What does it matter?"

"Whatever else was there is now in the hands of a terrorist organization," she said grimly. "It matters."

He was quiet for a moment, considering. "Your Alliance had found one of our weapons. It was damaged beyond usefulness but your scientists believed they could understand its technology." The curl of his lip was practically audible. "It was a pointless exercise."

"What kind of weapon?"

His answer was quick and biting. "A superior one."

Rolling her eyes, she didn't bother to respond. They soared through the atmosphere and into space. She radioed the _Normandy_ as they broke away from Eden Prime.

"_Normandy_, this is Shepard. Come in."

"_We're here, Commander,"_ Joker replied over the comm. _"Ready and waiting to provide a dramatic rescue."_

"That won't be necessary, Joker," she said, a grin ghosting over her lips as she pinged their location. "For once we got away clean."

"_What, no explosions?" _he asked with exaggerated surprise. _"No pissed off crazies thirsting for your blood? Wow, I think you're losing your touch, Commander."_

"Oh, I imagine there are still a few people thirsting for my blood," she assured him, the words as dry as a desert wind. "Especially after what we found at the base. Here's a hint, it's definitely not an artifact."

"_Shit, Commander. Don't tell me we're collecting puppies now, too."_

Behind the cockpit, she could hear Javik's dark purr. "Cease your staring, asari, or I will tear your eyes out of their sockets and give them to you as a trophy of your foolishness."

_Puppies. Right._ Shepard snorted, then immediately wished she hadn't, a riot of pain exploding across her abused face. Closing her eyes tightly, she tilted her head back to rest against the seat and took a few steady breaths. _Fuck._ When she felt like she could do something other than scream, she unclenched her jaw and responded.

"Funny. And you might change your tune once you see our surprise guest."

_"Ah, now you're just being a tease, Commander."_

"Just keeping you guessing, Joker."

The Normandy dropped suddenly out of FTL and came into view, its sleek hull gleaming. She piloted the little ship into the shuttle bay, landing it a little harder than she'd meant to. The whole craft shuttered and rocked, making at least one of her team stumble, but remained intact so she considered it a success. She opened the airlock then began to power down the ship, squinting slightly as the glaring interfaces flickered off. Smoothing back the hair that had slipped out of its braid, she pushed herself to her feet and into the back.

The others had already climbed out into the _Normandy_ but Thane had waited, his hands clasped behind his back. The corners of his mouth deepened when he saw her and he let out a rumbling, unhappy noise, deep enough to make the workings of her artificial ears buzz. Giving him a weak smile, she brushed her fingers reassuringly against his arm as she walked by. He didn't seem convinced, his frown only worsening.

"You are a poor pilot, human," Javik told her as she stepped out into the shuttle bay, his lip curled.

"One of the many reasons I don't run a taxi service, Javik," she said, looking over his shoulder.

Vega was watching near the armory, his massive hands busily taking apart his rifle, and she waved him over.

"Damn, Lola," he whistled once he was close enough. "What happened to your face?"

Crossing her arms, she raised an eyebrow. "Lola?"

"Err…" He rubbed at his neck awkwardly but still gave a roguish grin. "Sorry, Commander."

She grunted low in her throat but let it drop and gestured at him. "This is James Vega. He's part of our ground unit. Vega, meet our new member: Javik. He'll be with us until he decides otherwise."

"Oh, uh…hey." Javik's appearance seemed to startle him a little but he shook it off and gamely stuck out his hand. "Guess we'll be fighting Reapers together."

Javik stared at him, a small sneer twisting his lips. "That is unlikely, human. I doubt you will survive the first wave of our enemies."

"Uh…" His eyes darted to her, hand falling back to his side, and she shrugged a shoulder. "Right."

"Most of the ship is empty," Shepard said, rescuing her Lieutenant from further discomfort, "so you'll have your pick of rooms. I'm sure Liara would be happy to help you settle in."

Liara nodded, her eyes widening slightly with excitement. "Of course, Shepard."

"EDI?"

The AI chimed in over the ship's comm. system, her clear voice ringing through the shuttle bay. "Yes, Shepard?"

"EDI is the Normandy's artificial intelligence," she explained to Javik. "Give her a list of any supplies you need and we'll do our best to fill it."

His face had darkened considerably by this point and she almost sighed, keeping her tone cool. "Is there a problem?"

"I am surrounded by primitives and a synthetic," he replied, walking away with a scowl. "This is a bad beginning."

Shepard nodded for Liara to follow him, watching thoughtfully as the two disappeared into the elevator. Like some sort of macabre painting, she could see all of the problems their new Prothean was going to cause blooming before her eyes but at the same time, there was nothing she could do about it. They were backed into a corner with too few resources and too little time and they didn't have the luxury of being picky. Whether she liked it or not, Javik was a potential asset and she wasn't about to ignore that. At the very least, they would have the opportunity to pick his brain before she had to shoot him.

"Nice guy," Vega said, his massive arms folded across his chest. "So, uh, what is he?"

Locks of black hair fell into her eyes as she turned to answer. "A Prothean."

"You're shittin' me. I thought those guys were supposed to be dead?"

"So did everyone else. How he survived for 50,000 years, I have no idea."

"Damn," he rubbed at his scalp, shaking his head, "guess you did warn me about the crazy shit you get into but I never expected somethin' like this."

"Stick around long enough, Vega," she said, lips twisting wryly, "and the novelty'll begin to wear off."

"If you say so," he shook his head again then jerked his chin toward her. "Better go get your face looked at by the doc, Commander. It looks pretty bad."

"Yeah." She licked her lips, tasting tangy metal. "I'll see you later, Vega."

"Sure thing, Commander."

She made her way to the elevator, Thane walking closely beside her. When they were alone, she allowed herself to slump against the wall as they were carried toward the CIC. The slow movement of the cab made the constant lightheadedness she'd been feeling surge forward and she reached out a hand, trying to keep herself standing. She felt hollowed-out; her nerves stretched tight and thin. The room swam and she swallowed, focusing stubbornly on the floor even as it refused to stop tilting. She'd done too much today, demanded too much energy her body didn't have, and she was paying for it now.

A cool, gentle hand laid itself on her cheek, lifting her chin and bringing her out of her misery. Too tired to move, she just looked at Thane, meeting his searching gaze without a word. He hummed quietly in his throat, his thumb carefully wiping away the blood that had been lazily trickling from her nose. She flinched a little as he grazed the swollen, tender flesh and leaned against his palm, letting his touch soothe the pain. Stepping closer, he rested his forehead against hers and almost unwillingly, her eyes drifted shut. Dizziness made her sway but Thane was there, steadying her.

She might have stayed that way forever but eventually, the elevator came to a stop and broke the illusion that had been created. Whatever peace she may have found in that moment leaked away as reality rushed in, bringing with it every ache and worry and stress she had almost forgotten. As if sensing the change, Thane crooned soothingly and kissed her brow, the soft brush of his lips feather light. She couldn't help the pleased shiver that ran along her skin as he moved on to her cheek, her jaw, and finally her mouth. The touch was no more than a whisper but it left her breathless and her heart hammering in her chest.

They lingered there; close enough to one another that she could feel the delicate vibration of his throat as he hummed to her. A weak itch was spreading where his skin met hers, an irritated heat sweeping across her face. It was an unpleasant reminder that her body had nothing left to fight with but she willfully ignored it. She didn't want him to stop. Unnoticed, her eyes fluttered shut once more and that was when he spoke, his voice barely a murmur.

"You should be in the med-bay, siha."

Nearly asleep, she was halfway through nodding her agreement before, in a flash, she realized what he was doing. She laughed quietly and broke away, shaking her head. "You sneaky bastard."

His inner eyelids flickered and he smiled that slow, mysterious smile that she had long since fallen in love with. "Only as a necessity, siha."

She rolled her eyes, trying and failing to work up some annoyance. "I was already planning on going, you know."

"I don't doubt that you intend to." He tilted his head. "Eventually."

"And I will," she said, tilting her head back at him, "as soon as I give Joker our coordinates."

"A task that can be completed from the med-bay."

"It could," she agreed.

She could tell he was reaching for his patience as he stroked her cheek with his thumb, just grazing the dark bruising. "You are injured."

"I'm fine," she told him firmly, taking his wrist in a gentle grip. "I've had a broken nose before, Thane. It's not nearly as bad as it looks."

"Lies do not suit you, siha."

That made her eyes narrow. "We can go in circles about this all day, you know. Arguing about it is just keeping me from the med-bay that much longer."

The sound that came from his throat was so deep not even her ears picked up more than a sudden pressure, like being underwater. "An unfortunate truth."

She kissed the frown at the corner of his mouth. "I'll see Chakwas as soon as I can."

Stepping back to let her by, he glanced down in a nod. "I will hold you to that promise."

It was more difficult than she wanted to admit to leave the tender peace of his arms but she did. Sighing heavily, Shepard passed a tired hand over her eyes as the elevator doors slid shut behind her. _Suck it up, marine. Sleep comes later. Like when you've gone and finally died for good._ She dug her nails into her scalp, gritted her teeth, and sucked it up. Throwing back her shoulders, she lifted one foot after the other until she reached the bridge. Joker heard her coming and spun his chair around, tipping back his hat to look at her.

"Hey, Commander. Looks like someone had fun planet-side."

She didn't need a mirror to know exactly what she looked like: her face battered and bruised, greasy hair hanging half out of its braid, streaks of dirt and sweat staining her skin. There was dried blood was smeared across her face and spattered on her armor and not all of it was hers. Even now, she was being freshly stained as her nose continued to bleed in large, sluggish drops.

"You could call it fun," she told him, the words heavy with exhaustion, "or a horrible fight for our lives. Whichever."

"Don't you think that's the same thing?" He looked over his shoulder at EDI's terminal. "EDI, doesn't she think that's the same thing?"

The collection of blue dots that was the AI popped into existence. "There is a high probability that the Commander experiences a release of endorphins during combat. That would suggest that she does- as you put it- think they are the same thing."

"See? Even EDI knows you're a horrid brute." His eyes were wide with innocence. "Might as well admit it, Commander."

She crossed her arms, her expression wry. "Thanks, Joker. Your belief that I'm a bloodthirsty lunatic is incredibly comforting."

Tugging at his hat, he grinned crookedly. "Any time, Commander."

"While I appreciate the pep talk," Shepard said, her voice suddenly business-like, "that's actually not why I'm here. Set a course for the Horse Head Nebula, Pax cluster and keep a low profile. It's not exactly the quietest part of space."

"We're not going to Noveria, are we?" Joker asked, swinging around so his fingers could fly over the controls. "'Cause, I'm pretty sure those corporate bastards would be more than happy to sell us out to the highest bidder."

"I'd like to see them try," she scowled slightly at the thought, "but no, we're not. Thanks to our friend, the Shadow Broker, there's a supply drop coming in with our name on it."

"You hear that, EDI? _Supplies_. Which means Vega will finally take a shower and none of us are going to starve. All because of the Commander's criminal connections."

"That is reassuring, Jeff. I did not enjoy the prospect of rotting organic corpses polluting my deck."

Making a face, he shook his head. "That's some great imagery there. Thanks for that."

The hologram expanded and shrunk rapidly once and it almost looked like it was laughing. "You are welcome."

"I wouldn't exactly call the Shadow Broker a criminal, just err…" Shepard trailed off, her mind drawing a blank on exactly what Liara was, "shadowy."

Joker snorted a laugh. "Well said, Commander. Did you come up with that all on your own?"

Raising an eyebrow, she tapped her armored fingers against the back of his chair. "As a matter of fact, I did. Just before I turned some smart-mouthed pilot into smart-mouthed paste."

"See, now you're just being mean."

"No, mean would be telling you that our new friend needs a certain pilot to go brighten his day." She smirked. "Which he does, by the way."

"Yeah, about that. A Prothean." He looked at her sidelong. "Really, Commander?"

The relay was in visual range now and she could see its brilliant glow as a tiny spot in the darkness of space.

"Looks like," she said, watching as the relay grew in the distance, "and as soon as you figure out how the hell that one happened, let me know would you?"

"Before or after he starts removing body parts?"

Laughing dryly, Shepard glanced at him. "Heard his little quip to Liara, did you?"

"Kinda hard to miss when threats of mutilation start getting thrown around, Commander. Call it a survival instinct."

"Don't worry. EDI will keep a close eye on him for us. Won't you, EDI."

"It is part of my duties to ensure the health and safety of my crew, Commander," EDI informed her smoothly. "Which is why Doctor Chakwas would like me to remind you that she is waiting for you in the med-bay."

"Thank you, EDI," she sighed lightly. "You can tell her I'm on my way."

There was a short pause before the AI spoke again. "She instructed me to tell you that she will notify Ser Krios if you do not arrive in a timely manner."

Crossing her arms, she shot Joker a glare as he choked on a laugh.

"Better do what Mom says, Commander," he said, grinning, "before she decides to ground you, too."

That only made her scowl fiercer. "One of these days, I'm going to throw all of you out of the airlock."

"We love you too, Commander!" he called out as she walked away and he didn't have to see her to know she was flipping him off.

Waiting for Shepard to enter the elevator, Joker connected to the relay and locked in their approach. The relay loomed before them, pulsing with energy as its parts spun around its core. When the elevator doors closed, he smirked, keeping his eyes on the controls.

"So Chakwas threatened to tattle on Shepard, huh?"

"I'm not sure what you're saying, Jeff."

"Ah, come on. Give me a little credit here, EDI."

EDI was silent for a moment only milliseconds longer than usual. "I may have logically extrapolated what the Doctor would have to say in the situation."

"Wait up. You mean you didn't even talk to her?" he asked with amused disbelief. "Oh man, Shepard would kill you if she ever found out."

"While I don't believe that the Commander would attempt to kill me," EDI reassured him, "her reaction would not be pleasant. I would appreciate if you would keep this between us."

"Hey," he reached over to pat her terminal, "your terrible secret is safe with me, EDI."

EDI's hologram flickered. "Thank you, Jeff."

* * *

It was late into the _Normandy's_ night cycle when Shepard woke, the faint memory of ugly dreams a lingering shadow. She didn't move as she opened her eyes, only listened, but her cabin was still and calm. Feeling unsettled, she tried to remember what she had been dreaming about but it was like grasping at smoke and made her skull ache with the effort. She turned her head to look at Thane as the pain receded, the glow of the fish tank casting him half in shadow. He was still asleep, his breathing even but she could hear how every breath was a struggle in a way she couldn't when he was awake. It was shallow and quick, his body fighting for every bit of air.

Shifting to stare hollow-eyed at the distant stars above her, she listened and felt the seconds wink by. She was reminded of how she'd found him earlier, after she had gotten patched up in the med-bay. He'd been sitting up in bed, stripped of his armor and half under the covers, a forgotten datapad in his lap and his chin tucked into his chest. The scene was so ridiculously domestic she might have laughed if it hadn't made her heart stop with fear. It had only taken a moment to realize he had fallen asleep- that she hadn't walked in to find him cold and empty- but she had been left shaky and with a feeling of ice in her veins. He hadn't been dead, but it hadn't been normal either. It was another warning of how with every breath he took, his life was being washed away like sand against the tide.

Her throat tight, she got up. The sudden movement woke Thane and she could feel his eyes on her back, silently questioning. She carefully eased a shirt over her head, the bruises on her face and chest aching, and a pair of pants over her hips. Her skin prickling as he watched her, she left without a word and without looking back.

She took the elevator to the crew deck, her stomach driving her as much as her desire for solitude. As she'd hoped, it was empty and she quietly made herself a packet of freeze-dried something in the dim light of the mess hall. She let the simple motions focus her thoughts until her whole world had narrowed down to the physical rhythms. By the time she sat down to eat, her mind was clear and still and it almost came as a surprise when she realized that she'd emptied her plate with only the faintest memory of actually doing it.

Left unoccupied, her thoughts rushed back in like a whirlwind. She didn't know how long she sat there, frowning down at the table, before the sound of soft footsteps caught her attention. Straightening in her seat, she lifted her head and blinked, her expression smoothing into something more reserved.

"Javik."

He stepped from the shadows, looking vaguely predatory as he stalked forward and stopped in front of her. There was a moment of silence as he studied her and she couldn't help but stare a little as his alien face shifted minutely with hidden thoughts. Eventually he spoke, his oddly reverberating voice low and cool.

"I desire to speak with you, human."

Gesturing for him to take a seat, Shepard pushed aside her plate and intertwined her hands on top of the table. He remained unmoving at first, yellow eyes gleaming with unknown emotion, and then lowered himself into the chair.

"Something specific on your mind?"

"I have been learning about you. The Commander that ended a synthetic invasion, destroyed the ones that abducted your colonists, and became the murderer of thousands." He said it almost thoughtfully, his gaze unblinking. "First the galaxy's hero and then its biggest traitor."

The reminder of her failures was as sharp as a blade but she didn't let him see it. "What's your point, Javik?"

Without warning, his hand darted out and latched onto her wrist, his bare fingertips placed firmly against the delicate underside. The contact lasted only a second before she twisted out of his hold and knocked his hand away from her. He let go readily and made no other move towards her. The grip had been painless- the only reason there wasn't a Prothean colored smear across the floor- but it had left her skin tingling where his fingers had touched.

"Do that again and you'll walk away with one less hand," she told him with cold anger, letting a flicker of biotics appear. "You better have a damn good explanation."

He curled his lip until the flash of his teeth was just visible. "I am not surprised you do not know. The technology of this cycle is still primitive. Why wouldn't its species be as well?"

Her only answer was a hard stare that he easily ignored.

"All life provides clues for those that can read them. Our emotions, our experiences; they leave their biological markers in our flesh." He placed his hand palm up on the table between them, revealing the tiny, dark indents that circled the pads of each of his fingertips. "My species evolved as the ultimate hunters, able to sense the very essence of our prey."

Curiosity taking over, Shepard raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Are you telling me you can read thoughts? Memories?"

"No. That would require technology that my people abandoned long before I was born."

She let out a short laugh of disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"The Prothean Empire conquered the galaxy for a reason, human. Before the Reapers came, my people communicated thoughts and experiences through touch alone using technology that we created." His expression became distant, his mind thousands of years away, but refocused quickly. "We understood the danger of this too late and one of our greatest achievements became a weapon against us."

"The Reapers used indoctrinated Protheans to learn everything your people had managed to keep hidden," she guessed, her brows furrowed. "All the Reapers had to do was wait for the information to be given to them."

"Yes," Javik nodded once, his mouth twisted bitterly. "A Prothean would open his mind to his indoctrinated brethren not realizing that they had become a traitor. Thousands were massacred this way- whole cities destroyed- before we learned."

Leaning back in her chair, she regarded him for a moment. "So, if you weren't trying to read my thoughts, then what?"

"The truth. I suspected the asari of either deception or idiocy when she told me that the Reapers had killed you. It seems it was neither."

Her head tilted slightly. "How could you tell?"

"I could sense the cybernetics and reconstructed flesh within you. Your cells," he rubbed his fingertips together, frowning at them before flicking his eyes back to hers, "they are too young; the age of a child's. Your body has been heavily modified."

_And that's not fucking creepy, at all._ She forced herself not to grimace and instead gave a small shrug. "That's what happens when you get resurrected. People start deciding you'd be better off with a few extra bits here and there."

Javik regarded her with, on anyone else she might have thought was respect. "You do not fear death, Commander. A strength I did not expect from you. I hope you remember it when the drell lies dead."

The anger that she'd managed to put aside blazed like a sun, allowing her to overlook how her heart constricted at his words. Her tone immediately took on a dangerous edge. "Excuse me?"

"Mating between species is a pointless exercise and a risk in the fight against the Reapers. You would be wise to abandon it."

"Here's a tip, Javik." Her eyes were shards of black steel. "Mind your own fucking business."

"There is no room for weakness in war, Commander," he told her harshly, his lip curled until the flash of teeth was just visible. "I exist solely to bring destruction to the Reapers and anyone that does not share that purpose. I trust you when you say you fight the Reapers but otherwise..."

She met his gaze, unflinchingly direct. "I guess we understand each other, then."

"Understanding is irrelevant, Commander."

Not waiting for her response, he stood, agile as a cat, and walked away. Shepard watched him leave, eyes narrowed and the blood in her veins running hot. He disappeared the way he had come and she shook her head, a deep breath whistling out from behind clenched teeth. Rolling her shoulders, she tried to forget the conversation but something Javik had said had latched onto her thoughts like a burr and ignoring it only seemed to make it dig in deeper. _…when the drell lies dead._

"EDI?" Shepard blurted out before she could think better of it.

"Yes, Commander?"

Her heart suddenly pounding like a hammer, she hesitated. _It would just be a precaution, _she told herself firmly. _Just in case._ It was a lie and she knew it. If she did this, she'd go all the way.

"…Is Liara still awake?"

"She is, Commander."

…_when the drell lies dead._

She set her jaw and when she spoke, the words were steady. "Tell her I have a favor to ask."


	9. Chapter Eight

**Two months, three weeks Before the Fall of Earth**

_Unknown location, Attican Beta cluster, Alliance space_

There was blood on the door to her room.

The smear of gore was turian and fresh; the bright blue fluid only just beginning to congeal. Someone's face had apparently been turned into a paint brush and used to smear blood across the grimy surface in thin streaks. The metal was peppered with wide dents, creating shallow cavities for the blood to pool into. As she stared, the jagged, yellowed remains of a tooth dropped free of its resting place and landed with a tiny, clicking bounce by her boot.

"Charming," Miranda muttered and waved her omni-tool over the door.

The interface was fragmented, a shattered pane of light that came sluggishly to life. It flickered between red and green for a moment then disappeared in a half-hearted flash. She waited, her hand on her hip and her expression sour, until eventually the hologram reappeared. The door began to open with a long, reluctant groan before coming to a stuttering halt. It lingered at the halfway point, its machinery straining to work. Tiny sparks darted out from behind the wall. The door finally appeared to give up and the hologram vanished. Miranda rolled her eyes and maneuvered inside, careful to avoid touching anything as she slid by.

The room was small, cramped, and lit just well enough to see by a single light on the ceiling. Layers of grime coated every surface, giving it a brownish tint. A faint odor of blood and bodies and fear hovered in the air despite the filtration systems, the smell having become a part of the very walls. Miranda curled her lip. It was a miserable place to sleep but she hadn't expected anything less on this piss hole of a station. She hadn't come here looking for comfort and a vacation.

A dog was snapping at her heels and she needed a good place to disappear.

She made her way over to the bare mattress shoved into the corner, looked at it and sat on the floor instead. Dropping her bag next to her, she ran a tired hand through her dark hair and let her eyes fall briefly shut. Her whole body was a single ache that longed to slump against the wall, to let her mind forget and rest. Just for a little while. Yanking her eyes back open, she forced herself to ignore the urge. She didn't have the luxury to relax, to make the mistake of letting herself forget for even a moment and she couldn't afford mistakes. Oriana couldn't afford any of her mistakes.

Mouth set in a stubborn line, Miranda brought up her omni-tool and with a few taps of her fingers, she linked it to the extranet. The connection was slow and sketchy but it was useable. She straightened her back into a stiff, uncompromising line and set her omni-tool to record.

"Shepard. This message isn't completely secure but I'm sending it despite this. I've done what I can and I hope that it manages to reach you." She paused to lick her lips, feeling the dry, ragged skin. "The Alliance is saying you're dead- killed in an escape attempt- but I don't believe it. Despite what the rest of the galaxy seems to think, not even you would do something so incredibly stupid."

She allowed a faint smile to slip by, easing the bite in her words. The expression was fleeting and her face quickly fell back into seriousness. The Commander wasn't stupid but she was just as vulnerable to a shot in the back as anyone else. It had been over three months since Shepard had been taken into custody and the galaxy was rampant with theories on where Shepard was or if she was still alive. Most didn't doubt that she wasn't.

"There are some things you need to know, Shepard," she said, pushing her darkening thoughts away. "Before I..._cut ties_ with Cerberus, I'd spent the years since my recruitment gathering information on its people, its resources, and every operation I could uncover. It was a contingency plan. My sister's safety had always rested on my usefulness to the Illusive Man and I needed to know that if the situation changed, I could still protect her."

A grimace forced its way onto her face but she went on.

"Eight months ago, I discovered a Cerberus cell working on a project related to the derelict Reaper orbiting Mnemosyne, codenamed Aurora. The Illusive Man misled you when he said that the weapon that disabled it was a defunct mass-accelerator. Exactly what it is, is unclear but its creators were able to use it to disable a Reaper, Shepard. We may be able to use it to do the same. Cerberus has been studying it; trying to reverse engineer it for their own uses. They appear to still be in the speculation stages but-."

A steady, low beep from her omni-tool interrupted her and she frowned. Earlier, she had tapped her omni-tool into the building's systems and programmed it to screen through the security feeds. An alarm was set to activate if anyone not in the hotel's databases came into view. That alarm had just been triggered.

Tense as a wire, Miranda quickly scanned the feeds until she spotted the problem in the elevator several floors down. It was a small group of humans with ordinary faces that most would pass by without a second glance. Their weapons and armor were stock, the kind used by apparently every freelance merc in the galaxy. Entirely unremarkable except for one. He stood out among them in gleaming, custom gear; bold enough to not bother hiding what he was. The Cerberus logo was a blaze across his chest, the yellow a bright warning.

"_Damn it_," she hissed and began rooting through her bag, talking as she searched. "I'm out of time but I've already attached everything I have on Aurora to this message; its suspected whereabouts and every scrap of intel I could find."

Her hand grabbed onto several hard, metal disks and she smiled cold and sharp as a blade. She glanced at the security feeds. The Cerberus team was still in the elevator where she suspected they'd be for awhile. The elevator was slow and poorly maintained, moving through the building at a shaky crawl and giving her the time she needed.

Miranda turned back to the camera and hesitated slightly. For some reason, she suddenly felt like she was saying goodbye. Whether it was because she might be sending this to a ghost or some other reason entirely, she wasn't sure. The uncertainty prickled like thorns and she almost shut off the recording without another word but she didn't.

"Good luck, Shepard," she said eventually. "You're going to need it."

* * *

_The Normandy SR-2, Hawking Eta Cluster, Terminus Systems_

Shepard let the vid end and blink away, a frown darkening her face. The message hadn't changed from the first hundred times she'd watched it but restless unease kept her glued to her terminal, replaying it in an endless loop. It had been a few days since the message had appeared in her private mail and EDI and Liara had been digging through it ever since. They were reasonably certain it was legitimate but they still couldn't rule out the possibility that someone was pulling their strings, Miranda's included. Project Aurora would be a juicy piece of bait to dangle in front of all of them.

Tapping her nails against her desk, Shepard checked the time. They were still a few hours away from their destination of Torr Station, the base for Project Aurora. According to Miranda's intel, the station was hidden in the void of deep space outside the Thorne system and built around the weapon that took down the derelict Reaper. The weapon that was, apparently, completely intact and laying obediently in Cerberus hands.

_Like some sort of Reaper-killing puppy. With laser eyes_. Shepard snorted out both a laugh and a curse. _I did not just think that_. She scrubbed a hand through her hair and firmly pushed the bizarre image aside. Clearly, the relative inactivity was taking its toll. It had been over two weeks since Javik had joined the team and the time had been filled with a lot of talking and planning and arguing about the Reapers. All of which seemed to end with the conclusion that the galaxy was just as fucked as ever. Everyone was beginning to feel the strain and the newest mission was a welcome change of pace, despite any suspicions. Even if Project Aurora turned out to be nothing more than a barbed hook, at least it would give everyone something to shoot at other than each other.

A small sigh rushed past Shepard's lips and she reached out to restart the vid. Before she could press play, Thane's hand snaked out, gently curled around hers and pulled it away. She blinked. At some point he'd snuck up to stand behind her completely unnoticed, his free hand resting on the back of her chair, and his stomach grazing the back of her head. Raising an eyebrow at her trapped fingers, she twisted out of his grip only to be quickly recaptured. She blew out an annoyed breath and craned her neck back in order to meet Thane's large, dark eyes with a glare.

"Please, siha, enough," he said, rumbling with discontent. "I'm beginning to hear Ms. Lawson in my sleep."

Wicked humor whirled through her and tugged a smirk onto her face. "In your sleep, huh?"

"I assure you," his voice was dry as sand, "it hasn't been nearly as pleasant an experience as you seem to believe."

"_Oh-ho_, an _experience_."

"Yes. Something similar to what you would call 'night terrors'."

Shepard laughed. "Her voice isn't _that_ bad."

"I admit, it was a slight exaggeration." He chuffed and the delicate scales around his eyes wrinkled as he smiled. Leaning in close over her shoulder, he turned off the terminal with a flick of his long fingers. "All the same, there are better ways to spend an evening."

He straightened, brushing his lips against her arched neck as he did, and a pleased shiver raced across her skin. Reaching up, she laid a hand against his cheek and stroked the velvety flesh with her thumb. Thane's eyelids flickered briefly shut. He rested his face against hers then moved to her mouth, kissing it as lightly as a whisper and smirking against her as she strained to deepen the touch. Rolling her eyes, Shepard grabbed the soft collar of his shirt and dragged him closer with a smile.

Sensation washed over her like a wave; the caress of his lips, his hand gentle on her neck, the smell of him, bright and sweet. His throat was vibrating delicately, tickling her face. Everything that was Thane surrounded her, lighting a burning warmth in her chest that made the blood roar in her ears and the air rush from her lungs and the world itself seem like it was on fire. She curled her fingers tighter into his shirt.

Her taut neck muscles were beginning to ache and she pulled away, flushed and panting. The lights in her cabin were brighter than they had been at the start, creating brilliant halos behind his face. He tilted his head curiously, like a particularly vibrant bird, and she grinned. Releasing his collar, she traced his mouth with her fingertips, his breath ghosting against them in warm puffs.

"I think this might go better if I wasn't trying to do it upside-down," she suggested.

Thane answered with a sly smile, her only warning, before spinning her chair and yanking her out of her seat. Shepard laughed breathlessly and let herself be enfolded into his arms. Closing her eyes, she laid her head against his shoulder, wrapped her legs around his hips, and listened to the quiet croon resonating through his throat. He kissed her hair, burying his face in the thick strands. Tightening her hold, she pressed her lips to his scaled skin and her chest constricted with the sort of emotion that didn't have any words.

In that moment, she knew they didn't need them.


End file.
